Medicines to Deter Some Cancers Are Not Taken.

[elleng]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/health/research/13prevent.html?th&emc=th

[Celebration]

1. How can they do a four page article

on this subject, especially dissing vitamins, without a tip of the hat to Vitamin D3? They could at least have mentioned the epidemiology..............

[snagglepuss]

6. I'm glad you mentioned Vitamin D. It seems that the American Cancer Society

largest donors are Big Pharma and this has been cited why the American Cancer Society has not revised existing Vitamin D recommendations, much to the dismay of Vitamin D researchers across North America. Two years ago the Canadian Cancer Society having reviewed the research revised its stance on Vit D and now recommends 1000 IU daily to prevent cancer.

[supernova]

7. Started Vit D a couple of weeks ago

1000/mg of D3 every day. good stuff. And it was cheap.

[HuckleB]

2. K & R.

Important stuff. Thanks for posting!

[Chemisse]

3. That was so interesting, but rather puzzling

How many people even know about these medicines? I don't recall hearing about them before, so there could not have been a serious publicity effort.

If some high risk women actually consider having preventative MASTECTOMIES, I am sure they would be thrilled to cut their risk in half with just a pill.

[Lisa0825]

4. "the biggest is to avoid cigarette smoking. That alone would drop the cancer death rate by a third."

True.

[patrice]

5. People get MRIs at the drop of a hat in Japan.

According to a PBS special on Health Care in the other major industrialized nations.

[Maralee]

8. Not that simple

I have breast cancer and am familiar with Tamoxifen. What this article is not stating strongly enough is the serious side effects caused by this drug and the newer class of drugs called AIs that I'm on to help prevent recurrence.

There are not only hot flashes but increased risks of blood clots and uterine cancer. There is joint and muscle pain and loss of sexual functioning and fatigue. Everyone is affected differently but there is an entire laundry list of side effects ... some minor, some severe ... from these drugs that can seriously impact quality of life.

Having had breast cancer I take one of the AIs ... the potential that the drug may be able to kill off any stray cancer cells that may have escaped and be out there looking for a new home elsewhere in my body outweighs the side effects in that case.

I think doctors and women agree that there are more risks than benefits except in cases where there is an extensive family history of breast cancer or where someone carries one of the genes implicated in breast cancer. Even then some will not be able to tolerate the side effects.

That article implied that all women should be taking the drug because ... hey, why not, might help, can't hurt ... and that is very misleading. Almost sounds like a drug ad.

[mhatrw]

9. Nice commercial for Big Pharma.

Be good boys and girls, and take your drugs now for sicknesses you may or may not get later.