Raloxifene instead of Tamoxifen - the STAR Study

The National Cancer Institute announced that early results of their STAR study (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene) show that the use of the drug raloxifene (Evista®) is as effective as tamoxifen, and has fewer risks. Both Tamoxifen and Raloxifene are now used to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are post-menopausal and are at greater risk for this disease.

The STAR study ran for 4 years and women who participated in the study had 36 percent fewer uterine cancers and 29 percent fewer blood clots than the women who took tamoxifen. Some of the rare side effects from using tamoxifen can be uterine and endometrial cancer, as well as increased risk of blood clots.

Raloxifene (Evista®) is currently prescribed to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, but also can be used to help prevent invasive breast cancer. Read a Q&A on the STAR results.