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Do Pills Have A Place In Cancer PreventionFrom: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)Tue Aug 14 08:25:08 2007
A major study of a drug that could reduce a woman's risk for breast cancer has been canceled by the National Cancer Institute, raising questions about the future of using pills to prevent the disease. The trial, called Stellar (which stands for Study to Evaluate Letrozole and Raloxifene) was to be the third in a series of landmark breast-cancer-prevention trials conducted by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, a well-regarded research group that gets most of its funding from the NCI. The NSABP, based in Pittsburgh, has enrolled more than 110,000 women and men in clinical trials involving breast and colorectal cancer and its studies in the past have had a significant impact on the course of breast-cancer treatment. STUDY AIMS The Stellar study would have answered questions about letrozole, a drug made by Novartis AG that is already approved to treat breast cancer but is also believed to lower risk for the disease by more than 70%, based on a statistical analysis of the drug's impact in cancer treatment. Letrozole may offer better protection for high-risk women and less-severe or different side effects than other prevention drugs, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene. The study was to be funded with $55 million from the NCI, a $30 million grant from Novartis and free drugs from both Novartis and raloxifene maker Eli Lilly & Co. But the NCI's director, John Niederhuber, has said that the agency's funds would be better spent identifying genetic and other markers to determine women at highest risk for the disease -- rather than focusing on giving preventive pills to a broader group of women, including healthy ones who may never need them. The NCI press office declined a request to interview Dr. Niederhuber. The agency instead provided copies of letters sent to the trial investigators and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter -- who had inquired about the study -- explaining Dr. Niederhuber's views. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118704871190596538.html?mod=home_health_right
-- art fougner, md "May The Wings of Liberty Never Lose a Feather." - Jack Burton
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