FDA says cancer drug risky for some women

WASHINGTON (AP) — Post-menopausal women who take tamoxifen to treat breast cancer face a greater risk of recurrence if they have a specific genetic variation, federal health advisers said Wednesday in recommending that a warning be added to the drug's label.

Recent studies have found tamoxifen does not work as well in women with breast cancer who carry a variant of a gene called CYP2D6. An estimated 7 percent to 10 percent of women with breast cancer may have that special form of the gene, which affects how their bodies process the drug.

A panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers recommended the agency change tamoxifen's label to warn post-menopausal women of that potential risk.