London - The second major study of women with breast cancer to be released in a month strongly indicates that cancer incidence falls dramatically when the therapy includes the anti-cancer drug, tamoxifen.
The study involved 30,000 women with breast cancer, who were given the drug on a longterm basis immediately after surgery. The findings, published in the Lancet medical journal, were from a £1 million meta-analysis - an overview - of 55 patient trials in 15 different countries, co-ordinated at Oxford University.
This study follows equally encouraging results from a study of 13,000 women by the University of Pittsburgh.
The drug is not without serious side effects including an increased risk of cancer of the lining of the womb and blood clots in the lungs.
Concerns have been expressed about long-term use by younger women who have had breast cancer.