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Study: Drug combos may raise breast cancer risk

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:00:00 GMT

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
Associated Press

May 30, 2009, 5:54PM

ORLANDO, Fla. — Breast cancer survivors risk having their disease come back if they use certain antidepressants while also taking the cancer prevention drug tamoxifen, worrisome new research shows.

About 500,000 women in the United States take tamoxifen, which cuts in half the chances of a breast cancer recurrence. Many of them also take antidepressants for hot flashes, because hormone pills aren’t considered safe after breast cancer.

Doctors have long known that some antidepressants and other medicines can lower the amount of tamoxifen’s active form in the bloodstream. But whether this affects cancer risk is unknown.

The new study, reported Saturday at a cancer conference in Florida, is the largest to look at the issue. It found that using these interfering drugs — including Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft — can virtually wipe out the benefit tamoxifen provides.

Many doctors question the magnitude of harm from combining these medicines, and a second, smaller study suggests it may not be very large.

But the bottom line is the same: Not all antidepressants pose this problem, and women should talk to their doctors about which ones are best.

“There are other alternatives we can consider” that are safer, said Dr. Eric Winer, breast cancer chief at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston. He had no role in the study, which was done by Medco Health Solutions Inc., a large insurance benefits manager.

Researchers used members’ medical records to identify 353 women taking tamoxifen plus other drugs that might interfere with it, and 945 women taking tamoxifen alone. Those taking a drug combo did so for about a year on average.

Next, researchers checked to see how many were treated for second cancers in the following two years. Breast cancer recurred in about 7 percent of women on tamoxifen alone, and in 14 percent of women also taking other drugs that could interfere — mainly the antidepressants Paxil and Prozac, and, to a lesser extent, Zoloft.

If women want to take an antidepressant, “you probably want to stay away from those three,” said Medco’s chief medical officer, Dr. Robert Epstein.

No greater breast cancer risk was seen in women taking the antidepressants Celexa, Lexapro or Luvox with tamoxifen, and there are reasons to think that other antidepressants may be safe as well, Epstein said.

A second study led by Dr. Vincent Dezentjé of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands found little risk from combining tamoxifen and popular antidepressants. However, only 150 women in the study took such combos for more than two months, and they were compared to women taking combos for a shorter time — not to women using tamoxifen alone.

The Dutch and Medco studies were presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The federal Food and Drug Administration has been considering a change to tamoxifen’s label to warn about the antidepressants drugs and a gene variation some women have that can make tamoxifen less effective. An advisory panel unanimously recommended a change in 2006, but the agency is still considering it.

“This is a very controversial area,” said Dr. Claudine Isaacs, a breast specialist at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Until these data are absolutely clear, I would avoid drugs that impact on tamoxifen metabolism.”

Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in American women. More than 182,000 new cases were diagnosed last year, and it caused nearly 41,000 deaths.

29-Jun-09 3:00 PM

Beyond Breast Cancer

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Susan Rafte's interview with Biz Radio on Beyond Breast Cancer.

Beyond Breast Cancer Part One:

Beyond Breast Cancer Part Two:

4-Jun-09 8:00 AM

Pink at the Brown: the Arts bring LIFE to Houston

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Click here to listen to Laurent's FM interview with Susan Rafte, Executive Director, and Shelly Power, Artistic Chair of Pink at the Brown.

18-Mar-09 10:00 AM

The faces behind breast cancer

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

The faces behind breast cancer by Pink Ribbons Project supporter Josi Sethi.

Check out the ABC spotlight here: compelling stories of breast cancer survivors

9-Dec-08 11:00 AM

Superbugs

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Superbugs by Jerome Groopman. Read it here.

12-Aug-08 3:00 PM

Airline donates millions to cancer research

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Airline donates millions to cancer research by Todd Ackerman. Read it here.

12-Aug-08 3:00 PM

Take a quiz to see if you know the right diet to avoid cancer

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Take a quiz to see if you know the right diet to avoid cancer . Read it here.

12-Aug-08 2:00 PM

Bold cancer therapy begins crucial trials

Pink Ribbons Project — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Bold cancer therapy begins crucial trials by Eric Berger.

Read it here.

31-Jul-08 1:00 PM

20 cancer-fighting foods to eat all summer

Pink Ribbons Project — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

20 cancer-fighting foods to eat all summer by Glamour Magazine.

Read the article here.

27-Jun-08 9:00 AM

Groundbreaking Medicare Appeals Council Decision

Pink Ribbons Project — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Groundbreaking Medicare Appeals Council Decision by Robert Weiss. Read here.

For more information on issues regarding lymphedema, visit the National Lymphedema Network's website here.

13-Jun-08 9:00 AM

Drug to treat loss of bone prevented return of cancer

Pink Ribbons Project — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Drug to treat loss of bone prevented return of cancer by Marilynn Marchione. Read it here.

1-Jun-08 2:00 PM

Myths about Breast Cancer

Pink Ribbons Project — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Myths about Breast Cancer- by Imaginis.com. Click here to read.

29-May-08 9:00 AM

Crow praises representative for cancer fight

Pink Ribbons Project — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Crow praises representative for cancer fight- Associated Press. Read here.

23-May-08 3:00 PM

Breast cancer study hails effects of vitamin D

Pink Ribbons Project — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

"Breast cancer study hails effects of vitamin D"--Associated Press. Read here.

15-May-08 9:00 AM

Early exercise aids against breast cancer

Pink Ribbons Project — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Early exercise aids against breast cancer- Associated Press. Read here.

14-May-08 10:00 AM

A genetic 'civil rights act' passes Congress

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A genetic 'civil rights act' passes Congress by Jesse J. Holland. Download here.

12-May-08 7:00 PM

Chemical found 'everywhere' may cause cancer, study says

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Chemical found 'everywhere' may cause cancer, study says by Lyndsey Layton. Download here.

12-May-08 7:00 PM

Male kin of those with breast cancer face greater risk

Pink Ribbons Project — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Male kin of those with breast cancer face greater risk- Associated Press. Download here.

12-May-08 7:00 PM

The Not-So-Funny Pages

Don Vaughan — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:00:00 GMT

In October of 2007, Pink RIbbons Project had the chance to team up for a book-signing with Tom Batiuk, author of Lisa's Story. This is an original and unique perspective on the struggle with cancer, and we were proud to be associated with it!

Check out this article from healtoday.com:

The Not-So-Funny Pages

11-Mar-08 10:00 AM

The HRT Connection

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Check out this article from CURE magazine by Elizabeth Whittington on the influence of Hormone Replacement Therapy:

The HRT Connection

7-Mar-08 11:00 AM

Pink Ribbons Articles RSS Feed

Study: Drug combos may raise breast cancer risk

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE Associated Press

May 30, 2009, 5:54PM

Beyond Breast Cancer

Pink at the Brown: the Arts bring LIFE to Houston

The faces behind breast cancer

Superbugs

Airline donates millions to cancer research

Take a quiz to see if you know the right diet to avoid cancer

Bold cancer therapy begins crucial trials

20 cancer-fighting foods to eat all summer

Groundbreaking Medicare Appeals Council Decision

Drug to treat loss of bone prevented return of cancer

Myths about Breast Cancer

Crow praises representative for cancer fight

Breast cancer study hails effects of vitamin D

Early exercise aids against breast cancer

A genetic 'civil rights act' passes Congress

Chemical found 'everywhere' may cause cancer, study says

Male kin of those with breast cancer face greater risk

The Not-So-Funny Pages

The HRT Connection

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
Associated Press