A drug intended to treat menopause symptoms could double as breast cancer prevention.
New research from Northwestern University in Illinois found that Duavee, a Pfizer-made drug , “significantly reduced” breast tissue cell growth, which is a major indicator of cancer progression.
A phase 2 clinical trial included 141 post-menopausal women who had been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also known as stage 0 breast cancer, according to a press release from Northwestern.
This non-invasive breast cancer affects more than 60,000 American women each year, often leading to an outcome of invasive breast cancer .
The women were separated into two groups — one received Duavee and the other took a placebo for a month before undergoing breast surgery.
Duavee is a conjugated es