Has anyone had breast cancer with negative mamograms and no lesions?

@shail Tamoxifen helps protect bones. I'm taking a half-dose (10 mg) & doing ok.

@shail —I would recommend Raloxifene instead of tamoxifen as it helps your bones and protects against breast cancer with fewer side effects. It mimics estrogen's effects in the bones to prevent bone thinning and strengthening them (especially the spine) and at the same time blocks the effects of estrogen on breast tissue, reducing the risk of developing invasive breast cancer.

@maymore :

Hi! Maymore:

Thanks for sharing such useful information regarding the effects of the medication, Raloxifene (Evista)!

I am wondering whether we may ask our medical oncologists to prescribe Raloxifene instead of any AIs? As I understand it, Raloxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), used to prevent and treat osteoporosis and reduce invasive breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, and it also strengthens bones and blocks estrogen in breast tissue. This brings me some new hope, for I've been struggling with severe spinal issues lately. Has anybody tried this medication instead of any AIs? If you have, could you please share your personal experiences after taking it?

Thank you for your comments and better journey ahead, my comrades in fighting the disease of cancer!

@lifetraveler — I’ve been taking it for 6 months now with no side effects. Everything else I took caused terrible side effects, including baby tamoxifen, which is the low dose. I found out about raloxifene from my endocrinologist, who prescribed it, and I then told my oncologist that I was going to take this instead of tamoxifen. All she could say was that’s better than nothing. When I told my endocrinologist, he was taken aback and said he wondered why more oncologists aren’t prescribing it because the science shows it works the same or better than tamoxifen with fewer side effects.

@shail —I would recommend Raloxifene instead of tamoxifen as it helps your bones and protects against breast cancer with fewer side effects. It mimics estrogen's effects in the bones to prevent bone thinning and strengthening them (especially the spine) and at the same time blocks the effects of estrogen on breast tissue, reducing the risk of developing invasive breast cancer.

@maymore Isn't Raloxifene, (Evista) primarily an osteoporosis drug? I don't think it's approved for invasive breast cancer treatment. It is only used as a prevention. Yes, fewer side effects than Tamoxifen but still has risk of blood clots. Of course, we can each make our on treatment decisions, whether drug is approved or not. But it might be hard finding an oncologist to prescribe Raloxifene for invasive breast cancer.

@jmab - I’ve read several studies stating that Raloxifene was as effective as tamoxifen. That’s why I chose to take it. My endocrinologist shared the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) trial, published in 2006 showing that raloxifene is as effective as tamoxifen in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It found both drugs reduced risk by about 50%, with raloxifene having a better safety profile, including fewer uterine cancers and blood clots. National Cancer Institute (.gov)