Osteoporosis Drug Found Effective in Preventing Breast Cancer

BETHESDA, Md. - The National Cancer Institute is reporting that raloxfine, an osteoporosis drug, is just as effective in preventing invasive breast cancer as the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, but with fewer side effects.

In the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR), both drugs reduced the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by about 50 percent, the National Cancer Insitute said.

"In addition, within the study, women who were prospectively and randomly assigned to take raloxifene daily, and who were followed for an average of about four years, had 36 percent fewer uterine cancers and 29 percent fewer …