Evista Uses for Breast Cancer
Women in the United States get
breast cancer more than any other type of cancer, except for
skin cancer. Each year, more than 211,000 American women learn that they have breast cancer. Most
breast cancer causes are not known. In 5 to 10 percent of these cases, there is a hereditary component. Common
breast cancer symptoms include:
- A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
- A change in how the breast or nipple feels
- Nipple tenderness
- A change in how the breast or nipple looks
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- A nipple turned inward into the breast
- Nipple discharge (fluid).
Evista has been approved to help lower the risk of breast cancer in certain groups of women, including postmenopausal women with
osteoporosis and postmenopausal women who are at high risk for breast cancer. Studies have shown that Evista lowers the risk of breast cancer in these groups of women. You may be at high risk for breast cancer if:
- You have a first-degree relative with breast cancer (a mother or sister, for example)
- You have had a breast biopsy that showed cancer-like cells
- Your healthcare provider determines that you are at high risk for breast cancer after considering factors such as your age and your menstrual and pregnancy histories.
As mentioned, Evista belongs to a group of medications called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). SERMs have both estrogenic (estrogen-like) effects and anti-estrogen effects. Evista has anti-estrogen effects on the breasts, while it has estrogen-like effects on bones, helping to strengthen them.
Many breast cancers are sensitive to the estrogen hormone, meaning that the tumor grows with the hormone's help. Evista binds to estrogen receptors in the breast, decreasing the effects of estrogen. This, in turn, can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
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