A medication already approved to ease menopause symptoms might also help prevent a serious type of breast cancer, according to new research led by Northwestern Medicine.
Dr. Swati Kulkarni, a breast surgeon and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, shared the results of a new clinical trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 1.
The findings are based on a phase 2 trial that looked at whether the drug Duavee could slow or stop early signs of breast cancer from progressing.
Duavee is a medication that combines conjugated estrogens and bazedoxifene. It is currently used to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.
Researchers wanted to see if it could also help reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer, especially in women already diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive condition considered an early warning sign for breast cancer.
The study involved 141 postmenopausal women with DCIS. They were split into two groups: one received Duavee, and the other was given a placebo.
The treatment lasted about four weeks, between the time of diagnosis and their planned breast surgery. The results showed that the women who took Duavee had a significant drop in breast cell growth — a key sign that the cancer might not progress to a more dangerous form.
What makes this finding especially exciting is that Duavee was well tolerated by the women in the study. Other drugs used to prevent breast cancer often cause unpleasant side effects, leading many women to avoid taking them. Duavee, however, seemed to offer both menopause relief and a possible reduction in cancer risk.
Dr. Kulkarni noted that the drug may be most helpful for women at higher risk of breast cancer due to conditions like atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), or a previous DCIS diagnosis.
These women often suffer from menopause symptoms but are advised not to use standard hormone therapies because of cancer risk. Duavee could offer them a new and safer option.
Although more research is needed before Duavee can be officially recommended for breast cancer prevention, the early results are promising — especially since the drug is already approved and available.
