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BIG Calendar
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RUTHAN BRODSKY
Special to the Jewish News

A

n enormous 10-year
clinical trial that could
bring about the next
generation of advances
against
breast
cancer began
in
b
b
May.
At more than 400 U.S. and
Canadian sites, including seven
in southeast Michigan, scientists
are recruiting 22,000 post-
menopausal women at high risk
of developing breast cancer for
the STAR study. It compares
which of two drugs offers the
most promise for minimizing the
chance of contracting the disease.
An estimated 178,700 women
Jodie Flood goes
in the United States were diag-
over the.:fcreening
nosed with breast cancer in 1998
and 43,900 died of the disease.
In Michigan, 6,300 women were
diagnosed with breast cancer last
year and 1,500 women died of
In the battle against breast cancer,
the disease.
Coordinated by the National
eight Michigan sites are recruiting at-risk women.
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and
Bowel Project and supported by
said. "These women are at higher
the National Cancer Institute,
women, was "unblinded" last April,
risk for breast cancer than the nor-
the STAR study will compare the
more than a year ahead of schedule,
mal population. They deserve to be
preventive benefits and human
because of the clear evidence of the
actively involved in the possible
costs of tamoxifen (Evista) and
drug's effectiveness. Women in the
prevention of breast cancer rather
trial's placebo groups were
raloxifene (Nolvadex).
than taking a placebo. In fact, it's
The study follows the Breast
informed so they could switch to
often difficult finding women to
Cancer Prevention Trial, which
active tamoxifen.
volunteer for these clinical trials
found tamoxifen reduced the devel-
Judie Goodman, D.O., is an
because few want to be on the
opment of breast cancer among
oncologist and one of the primary
placebo. They want to be taking
women in high-risk categories by
investigators for the STAR study at
the drug that might work."
Providence Hospital. "There is no
49 percent. That trial, which
Tamoxifen has a down side: tak-
controlled group of women taking
involved more than 13,000 pre-
ing it increases the chance of devel-
menopausal and postmenopausal
a placebo in the STAR project," she

oping endometrial cancer (cancer
of the lining of the uterus), deep-
vein thrombosis (blood clots in
large veins), pulmonary embolism
(blood clot in the lung) and pos-
sibly stroke.
In December 1997, the drug
raloxifene was approved for pre-
vention of osteoporosis. During
clinical trials, a second significant
pattern emerged: Women who
took raloxifene, compared with
those taking a placebo, were less
likely to develop breast cancer.
In view of these side effects,
the newer, less-tested raloxifene
was considered another option
for breast cancer prevention --
although it lists among its side
effects an increased incidence of
serious blood clots.
Tamoxifen, on the other hand,
has been approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
to treat women with breast cancer
for more than 20 years and has
been in clinical trials for about 30
years. Researchers hope to find
which drug works best for
women at high risk and for
women of specific populations.
"We're working on more corn-
munity outreach for this trial," says
Dr. Goodman. "We understand
that we can't get the numbers of
women we need only from physi-
cian referrals. We are actively
recruiting patients whose health
worries motivate their interest
enough to enter this study."
Michael Simon, M.D., is a med-
ical oncologist and study investiga-
tor at Barbara Ann Karmanos

8/27
1999

Detroit Jewish News

113