Multicenter, randomized prevention trial evaluating the efficacy of raloxifene 60 mg per day for 5 years compared with tamoxifen 20 mg per day for 5 years in reducing the incidence of invasive breast cancer in high-risk postmenopausal women.
With a median follow-up of 38 months and a mean of 47 months showed that tamoxifen and raloxifene had similar effects on the risk of invasive breast cancer- however, raloxifene seems less effective than tamoxifen in reducing the risk of noninvasive disease.
An update with a median follow-up of 81 months suggested that raloxifene provided only 76% of the effectiveness of tamoxifen on the risk of invasive breast cancer, and the effectiveness on noninvasive disease was similar.
In the study, endometrial cancers and thrombotic events, were fewer with raloxifene.
No significant differences between tamoxifen and raloxifene in physical and mental health or depressive symptoms.
Both drugs affect quality of life, with raloxifene cause slightly fewer side effects.
Women taking tamoxifen had fewer sexual problems than with raloxifene in the STAR trial.
Both drugs were equivalent in their ability to prevent invasive breast cancer with 4.4 women per year per 1000 developing invasive breast cancer for tamoxifen and 4.3 women per 1000 per developed the disease with raloxifene.