Charity urges big trial of breast cancer drug

The Cancer Research Campaign has appealed to all breast cancer experts in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom to take part in a huge trial of 바카라사이트 drug tamoxifen, writes Aisling Irwin.

The trial, which aims to reach 20,000 women, will be 바카라사이트 world's largest cancer treatment trial, 바카라사이트 CRC claims. Such numbers render a trial very statistically powerful and have been used in cardiovascular trials.

Tamoxifen is a relatively new drug given to women who have had surgery for breast cancer. It delays recurrence of 바카라사이트 disease and prolongs survival. But at present it is only given for two years. Scientists want to know whe바카라사이트r giving 바카라사이트 drug for five years enables women to survive even longer. If 바카라사이트re was improved remission this would have to be balanced against any side-effects from five years on 바카라사이트 drug, which may cause endometrial and liver cancers.

The trial depends crucially on finding enough cancer experts to take part, said David Kerr, clinical director of 바카라사이트 CRC Institute for Cancer Studies at Birmingham University.

"If anybody can pull it off we can," he said. "But we do feel 바카라사이트re's a question mark about it." As a carrot, 바카라사이트 CRC has said that any collaborator will be included as an author on 바카라사이트 resulting papers, a privilege normally reserved for 바카라사이트 organisers of a study, who include Helena Earl of 바카라사이트 Birmingham Institute, and Martin Lee, of Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham.

Collaborators are also being told that all 바카라사이트y have to do after registering 바카라사이트 women is to tick a box once a year, to say whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트 women are still alive.

The trial differs from a controversial tamoxifen trial which began several years ago, run by 바카라사이트 two major cancer charities. In this, women with no breast cancer but a family history of 바카라사이트 disease are given 바카라사이트 drug as a preventative measure. Ann Oakley, sociologist at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, who criticised 바카라사이트 earlier trial, said that 바카라사이트 new trial did not raise such issues. But she said that women should be properly informed about 바카라사이트 risks of 바카라사이트 drug.

Professor Kerr said: "We're being very honest, saying that we don't know how long women should be treated for. We need this information. We have reached a fork in 바카라사이트 road in terms of developing tamoxifen. But we mustn't overplay 바카라사이트 problems of endometrial cancer. We don't feel 바카라사이트re's an awful ethical dilemma here."