A recent study finds that approximately 10 million healthy women would be eligible to take the drug tamoxifen to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer. Of those women, over two million are likely to reap the benefits of the drug without experiencing side effects. Tamoxifen has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1998 to help prevent breast cancer in women determined to be at high risk for the disease. However, the risk of potentially severe side effects has deterred some physicians from prescribing it and some women from taking it. This new study shows that tamoxifen has the potential to significantly prevent breast cancer in the United States.

Results from the Million Women Study, a United Kingdom research project investigating reproductive and lifestyle factors affecting women's health, has found that women who use or have used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are more likely to develop breast cancer, compared to women who have never used HRT. This is the largest study to date linking the menopausal treatment to an increased breast cancer risk. Researchers noted that the risk of breast cancer was higher among women who used combined estrogen/progestin forms of HRT, rather than estrogen alone. The results of this study underscore the need for women to talk with their physicians before beginning/continuing an HRT regimen. Women who suffer from hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms may also wish to consider alternative remedies, depending on their personal risk of
breast cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of a screening test designed to detect the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can increase the risk of cervical cancer. HPV testing has previously been available to women who have received abnormal Pap test results but not for general screening purposes. The FDA approval makes the HPV test an option for all women 30 years of age in conjunction with their annual Pap tests.

For many women, undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer means losing the ability to experience childbirth later in life. However, a recent study finds that women diagnosed with a certain type of ovarian cancer called germ cell tumors may be able to preserve their fertility while receiving sufficient treatment. Treatment for this type of cancer typically involves surgery, followed by chemotherapy. In the study, many women who
had only one ovary removed were able to successful have children after treatment.

The rate of cervical cancer cases is far greater in less developed countries where women do not have adequate access to healthcare, and particularly to screening with Pap tests. In an effort to reduce the number of cases and deaths from cervical cancer, researchers are exploring whether low technology tests involving visual inspections of the cervix, and treatment with cryotherapy, a procedure that involves freezing cancer cells to destroy them, would be more practical alternatives to Pap tests and surgeries for women who are not likely to receive detailed follow up care. Preliminary results are promising.