Doctors Urge Healthy, High-Risk Women To Take Breast Cancer Drugs Despite Potentially Fatal Side Effects

Healthy women with either a family or personal history that puts them at high-risk for breast cancer, including breast lumps or other problems, should take breast cancer drugs, according to the United States Preventative Services Task Force.

However, the drugs, tamoxifen and raloxifene, both come with serious potential side effects, including blood clots and strokes.

Other side effects include hot flashes and vaginal dryness and pain. What's more, tamoxifen has been shown to potentially lead to cataracts and uterine cancer.

Still, the group affirmed that women ages 40 to 70 should work with their doctor to assess their chances of developing breast cancer and, in the case that the odd is high, be prescribed one of the two drugs. Though, the task force warned, they did not recommend this for women whose risk of developing blood clots and strokes was high.

"There is evidence of benefit for certain women," said task force member Dr. Wanda K. Nicholsan of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, according to The New York Times.

Dr. Nicholsan added that she has recommended the drugs for some of her own high-risk patients, some of whom have opted for the treatment and some of whom haven't.

In all, the task force estimates that out of 1,000 women with an increased risk of breast cancer, 23.5 cases of invasive breast cancer would evolve within five years. Should the women take medication, that number would drop by 7 to 9 cases.

However, they further estimate that an extra 4 to 7 women per 1,000 taking the drugs would develop blood clots during that same time period and that 4 extra cases of uterine cancer would result for every 1,000 women taking tamoxifen.

"The take-home point for women," Nicholsan said, "is to have the initial conversation with their provider."

The task force is currently composing a final draft. To view the current draft, click here.