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One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States. So if you knew you would one day develop the disease, would you take preventative measures to try and stop it?

“There are many things that women can do to prevent breast cancer, and all of these, while they’re no guarantee, can reduce the risk for future development of breast cancer,” says Lisa Weissmann, M.D., oncologist at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Weissmann says these preventative measures range from lifestyle changes to medications, specifically a drug called Tamoxifen. Physicians have been prescribing tamoxifen for nearly 30 years to patients with advanced breast cancer.

“Physicians found that when women with invasive breast cancer took this drug, the risk for developing breast cancer in the other breast was cut in half,” says Dr. Weissmann. That led to a study about 10 years ago. 13,000 women considered at high-risk for developing breast cancer took part. Half took tamoxifen and the other half took a placebo. Researchers saw a 50 percent reduction in the risk for getting breast cancer in the women who received tamoxifen.

“That’s now become the standard of care in pre-menopausal women at elevated risk for developing breast cancer,” says Dr. Weissmann. Another drug, Raloxifene, has been proven to be equally effective as tamoxifen for women who are post-menopausal.

“These drugs give women, in addition to lifestyle changes – which I would not minimize at all – several means to be able to offer risk reduction,” says Dr. Weissmann.

Tamoxifen works, as a preventative measure, by blocking the ability of natural estrogen to get to breast cells. It’s actually a very weak estrogen, but in order for breast cells to grow, they need very strong, potent estrogen.

“If you want a cell to grow, you feed it steak. Tamoxifen is like feeding a cell thin soup or broth,” explains Dr. Weissmann. “It can’t live on that, so it basically starves to death.”

Since one in eight women develop breast cancer, how do you know if you’re at high-risk for developing the disease? A woman can be considered at higher risk if: two or more first-degree relatives (a mother, a sister or a daughter) have/had breast cancer; if a member of the family under age 50 was diagnosed; breast and ovarian cancer run in the family; or if a family member has had bilateral breast cancer (cancer in both breasts). There are computer programs available that can help a woman estimate her risk for the future development of breast cancer, available from a genetic counselor or on-line sites (mycancerrisk.com).

Genetic testing can be performed for the two known mutations that can cause breast cancer. These genes are called BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. Studies show these genes make up about five percent of all breast cancer cases.

“The test is a simple blood test, but the process is much more complicated,” says Dr. Weissmann. “It’s the implication of what the results will mean. It’s not something to enter into lightly.” She says women have to think about what the results mean, what they will do with the information and how they will use it.

“You can imagine testing positive for a gene that’s known to cause breast cancer. It can be very devastating, unless you’re prepared for it,” says Dr. Weissmann.

To help prepare women for the test, Beth Roy, LICSW, licensed social worker and coordinator of The Hoffman Breast Center at Mount Auburn Hospital counsels women prior to testing.

“Women will understand what kind of options are available, and can be proactive,” says Dr. Weissmann. “A lot of women worry about their siblings and children, and genetic testing allows them to identify for their family the possibility that they could be at risk too. If a woman tests positive for either gene, other family members can then think about genetic testing or least begin screenings at a younger age.”

Women must consult with a genetic counselor or their primary care physician before testing can be done.

Dr. Weissmann says women who choose to do genetic testing, feel they have more power and control over what could happen. “For women with a high-risk of developing breast cancer, this gives them a very reassuring option that there’s something we can do to help lower their risk,” she says.

For a free breast self-exam shower card, please call us at 617-499-5094.

Mammography, breast ultrasound, ultrasound breast biopsy and stereotactic breast biopsy and programs are accredited by the American College of Radiology. We are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and have a valid Certificate of Inspection.