Commentary

The 1998 publication of the NSABP P-1 prevention trial led to considerable discussion in the breast cancer research community about the need to routinely employ quantitative risk assessment in women over the age of 35. The P-1 study utilized the Gail model and established a 1.67% five-year breast cancer risk as a key entry criterion. This is also being incorporated into the current NSAPB prevention trial, protocol P-2, comparing tamoxifen to raloxifene. The patterns of care study demonstrated that 76% of surgeons are currently utilizing the Gail model to assess breast cancer risk in their patients; however, only 25% of these physicians have initiated tamoxifen for chemoprevention in any patient in the past year. The number of physicians prescribing tamoxifen for chemoprevention increases dramatically in physicians attending the Miami Breast Cancer Conference.

Select publications

Fisher B et al. Tamoxifen for prevention of breast cancer: Report of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project P-1 Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90(18):1371-88. Abstract

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