EVISTA is indicated for risk reduction of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Two serious health issues for women past menopause are osteoporosis and invasive breast cancer.* Osteoporosis literally means "porous bones" — a condition where the bones become thin and fragile, and can easily break, even during everyday activities. Invasive breast cancer is caused when breast tissue cells grow out of control, forming tumors that can invade surrounding breast tissue, and eventually spread to other parts of the body.
Changes in Your Bones and Breasts
Around age 50, most women go through the naturally occurring process of menopause, when many changes take place in your body.
Most women acquire a majority of their bone mass by age 18, which peaks by age 30. From that age onward, bone mass begins to decline at a steady rate until after menopause, when the rate of bone loss may increase significantly. As bone mass is increasingly lost, bones become thinner and more fragile. That makes fractures more likely.
In addition, as women past menopause age, they have a higher chance of being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer than younger women. Both osteoporosis and invasive breast cancer often have no symptoms during the early stages of the disease. Postmenopausal women should be aware of their personal risks for each of these diseases.
This section provides information to help you learn more about osteoporosis and invasive breast cancer:
*According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 75% of breast cancer cases are invasive.
