Evista (Raloxifene) for Breast Cancer

Overview
Evista is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help prevent the development of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at high risk for the disease. Evista reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Evista does not reduce the risk of non-invasive breast cancer. It is not used to treat breast cancer that has already developed. It is not used to prevent recurrence of breast cancer in women who have had the disease before. Evista is also known by its drug name, raloxifene.

About two-thirds of breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive, meaning that they require estrogen in order to grow. Evista is a member of a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERM, that provide hormone therapy to treat or help prevent receptor-positive breast cancer. Evista is believed to work by reducing the effect of estrogen in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.

How do I take it?
Evista is a pill taken orally once a day. It is not known how long Evista should be taken in order to receive maximum benefits.

Always follow your doctor’s instructions exactly when taking Evista.

Side effects
Common side effects of Evista include hot flashes, leg cramps and swelling, flu syndrome, joint pain, and increased sweating.

Evista raises your risk of developing life-threatening blood clots in your legs or lungs, especially when you are inactive for long periods. Call your doctor immediately if you experience swelling, warmth, pain, redness, or tenderness in your legs, a fast heart rate, coughing up blood, chest pain that worsens with deep breaths, trouble breathing, or sudden shortness of breath. Evista also increases the risk for life-threatening stroke, cardiovascular disease, liver impairment, and increased triglycerides.

Contact your doctor right away if you develop hives.

Evista offers the beneficial side effect of improving bone density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

For more information about this treatment, visit:

Evista — RxList
https://www.rxlist.com/evista-drug.htm

Evista — BreastCancer.org
https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal...