Study: Breast anticancer drug may provoke symptoms of weight

A study from research centers in Seattle recently showed that drugs known to treat many breast cancers may even cause more severe symptoms, according to media reports Wednesday.

"Tamoxifen", which was introduced in 1978, is used to prevent a recurrence of cancer in women who had surgery for their tumor.

However, one recent study showed the drug increased the risk of more aggressive cancer in the healthy breast by more than four times.

"All medications have risks and benefits," said Dr. Christopher Li, a member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "If you consider the full balance, make the most of the women, the benefits will far outweigh the risks."

The new study, which assess the possible development of new cancer in the second breast, found that women who use the "tamoxifen" for five years for a possible 60 per cent to the tumor affected not only sensitive to estrogen compared with no use on the second breast, and 40 percent more attacked by a small new tumors in the breast of any kind second.

Some breast cancer experts say they worry that breast cancer patients who heard about the new study may stop using the "tamoxifen", although the main reason for using the drug to prevent cancer is that they have suffered a relapse and spread, which can result in death.

Many other experts agree that the new study is no excuse for breast cancer patients to stop using "tamoxifen". "What we have to remember is` tamoxifen `save lives," says Dr. Victor Vogel, Vice President of National Research on "American Cancer Society".