A recent Phase 2 clinical trial led by Northwestern Medicine suggests that Duavee, a medication already FDA-approved to treat menopause symptoms, might also help prevent invasive breast cancer in some women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
The study, led by Dr. Swati Kulkarni, a breast surgeon and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, was presented on June 1 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
What Was the Study About?
The trial included 141 postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) DCIS, a type of early-stage breast condition that may sometimes lead to invasive cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to take either Duavee or a placebo for about four weeks before their scheduled breast surgery.
Duavee combines conjugated estrogens with bazedoxifene, a medication that helps protect breast tissue from the effects of estrogen. The researchers wanted to see if Duavee could slow down or stop abnormal cell growth in the breast—a sign that cancer may be developing—without causing unwanted side effects.
What Did the Study Find?
The results were promising:
- Cell growth decreased significantly in women who took Duavee compared to those who took the placebo. This was measured by a protein called Ki-67, which is linked to how fast cells are dividing.
- Women who took Duavee reported no worsening of menopausal symptoms or quality of life—and many even had fewer hot flashes.
- No serious side effects were reported, which is a contrast to other breast cancer prevention drugs that often cause symptoms like joint pain, fatigue or mood change—symptoms which often lead to patients discontinuing use.
Why This Matters for DCIS Patients
These early findings offer hope in two important ways:
- Duavee may help lower the risk of invasive breast cancer in women with hormone-positive DCIS, a group often at higher risk.
- For women with a history of hormone-positive DCIS—who are usually told to avoid hormone therapy to treat menopausal symptoms—Duavee might offer a safer alternative.
More research is needed to confirm these results in a larger group and over a longer period of time. But for now, this study opens the door to new possibilities for both cancer prevention and quality of life after a DCIS diagnosis.
A link to the trial can be found here.