Other compounds being studied

Some other medicines, such as bexarotene, lovastatin, and deslorelin, are in early stage clinical trials for breast cancer chemoprevention. It is not yet clear how well they may work to reduce breast cancer.

A few dietary supplements are also being studied to look at their possible role in reducing breast cancer risk. These include grapeseed extract, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B6 and B12.

Other clinical trials are looking at breast cancer reduction as an unintended effect of drugs used for other reasons. (This is how raloxifene, used for osteoporosis, was found to be useful in breast cancer.) Drugs currently being researched include aspirin, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), bisphosphonates (drugs for osteoporosis), and statins (drugs used to lower cholesterol).

This type of research takes many years. It will probably be some time before meaningful results on any of these compounds are available.