The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether or not to approve Evista (an osteoporosis drug) for the use as a preventative breast cancer treatment.

At least two women's health advocacy groups oppose the move, and FDA scientists are not so sure the benefits truly outweigh the risks.

Evista is currently approved for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Eli Lilly has requested approval to market the drug as a preventative medication that cuts the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who either have osteoporosis, or who are at high risk of developing breast cancer.

FDA scientists who analyzed Eli Lilly trials data, say the drug only reduced the breast cancer risk in women at normal risk, but not in the high-risk group. Since Eli Lilly wants to market Evista to healthy women, careful consideration of the risk/benefit ratio is especially important.

USA Today July 23, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

OK folks. Here’s where your good old fashioned common sense needs to kick into high gear.

The current cancer-prevention medication, Tamoxifen, carries the side effects of increased risk of uterine cancer, blood clots and stroke. And now they want to approve yet another drug that doesn’t do its job for the intended target market. Why should a woman who is in the high-risk category for developing breast cancer—but who is otherwise healthy—take a preventative cancer medication that doesn’t prevent breast cancer in high-risk groups?

And, in addition to being prescribed a drug that doesn’t lower her risk of breast cancer, it actually raises her risk of other invasive cancers, blood clots, cataracts, heart disease and stroke! Where is the logic?

The deceptive jargon comparing the risks between Tamoxifen and Evista is nothing but a smoke screen hiding the real issue. So what if Evista induces a slightly lesser risk of uterine cancer, blood clots and cataracts than Tamoxifen? Does that make it a good option for someone looking to prevent cancer from happening? Scientific study has already found that both of these two drugs raise your chances of developing other invasive cancers, heart disease and stroke. Comparing one bad, ineffective drug against another one is not the solution to lowering the breast cancer risk in women.

These drugs are part of the cancer scam going on world wide. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, says that Tamoxifen is “very much underutilized for breast cancer prevention.” Please, don’t listen to these hypocrites. They clearly do not have your best interest at heart.

It would be like me recommending healthy servings of raw vegetables, with the additional instruction to keep a can of pesticide in the pantry, and make sure to give those veggies an extra thick layer—for safe measure, you see—before eating them. Why? Because pesticides will kill all those nasty bugs you don’t want to eat, of course. With sufficient indoctrination and repetition, many would probably overlook the fact that this would be not only illogical, but stepping over the line into sheer lunacy. Which is exactly what’s happening in the medical/pharmaceutical industry on a daily basis.

If you want to PREVENT breast cancer, there are real alternatives to this bizarre madness of toxic drugs with more deadly side effects than actual benefits.

Replace Toxic Deodorants and Antiperspirants

Traces of parabens were found in all tissue samples from 20 different breast tumors. Parabens commonly found in underarm deodorants and other cosmetics, get absorbed into the body. Parabens have also been found to mimic the action of estrogen, which is another driving force behind breast tumors.

Antiperspirants, on the other hand, contain aluminum, which blocks the pores from releasing sweat. This active ingredient is absorbed into the body and wreaks havoc in the brain. Aluminum is considered a likely contributor to the increasing number of people being afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer.

Replace your deodorant or antiperspirant with plain soap and water, or look for products that are paraben- and aluminum free.

Take Your Omega-3’s

One of the most important things you can do to prevent a host of diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, is to increase your intake of animal based Omega-3, and reduce your intake of omega-6 fats.

That means, avoid corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil, as these are primary sources of omega-6 fat, and increase your consumption of flaxseed oil, walnut oil and fish- or krill oil, which are great sources for omega-3. The best type of omega-3 fats are those found in fish oil and krill oil, as these are high in two crucial fatty acids, DHA and EPA.

As with many other things, the type/brand of krill oil/cod liver oil you choose makes all the difference when it comes to reaping the benefits. Potency and purity means everything. After extensive research, I can with absolute confidence recommend both the Fresh Shores Antarctic Krill Oil and the Carlson's brand of Krill Oil and cod liver oil. Both are rigorously tested for potentcy and purity, and because these exceptional brands may be difficult to find in health food stores, I now offer both the Krill Oil and Carlson's here in the "Recommended Products" section.

Don’t Skimp on Sunlight

The sun exposure that causes the body to create vitamin D has been proven to lower the risk of many cancers, including breast cancer. Women who limit their exposure to the sun may become deficient in vitamin D, which increases their risk of contracting breast cancer and osteoporosis. Cod liver oil can be beneficial here as well, to compensate for low-level sun exposure.

Put Physical Exercise on Your Schedule

Exercise lowers women’s risk of developing breast cancer. In one study, women who bicycled or walked for more than an hour per day had a 19 percent reduction in their odds of developing the disease, compared to their sedentary counterparts. Others have found up to a 30 percent decrease in risk.

Of course, there are even more things you can do to lower your cancer risk, including: eating fresh, nutritious food (sans pesticide), based on your nutritional type; drinking clean, pure water; cutting out sugar from your diet, and eliminating as many toxic substances from your immediate environment as you can.

Related Articles:

Omega-3 Fats Prevent Breast Cancer

Diet and Sunlight Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Exercise Lowers Women's Breast Cancer Risk

Vitamin D for Cancer

Risk of Breast Cancer Higher for Non-White Women

Alcohol and Low Vegetable Intake Linked to Breast Cancer