Benefits and harms of selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) to reduce breast cancer risk: a cross-sectional study of methods to communicate risk in primary care.

Background: In Australia, evidence-based guidelines recommend that women consider taking selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) to reduce their risk of breast cancer. In practice, this requires effective methods for communicating the harms and benefits of taking SERMs so women can make an informed choice.

Aim: To evaluate how different risk presentations influence women's decisions to consider taking SERMs.

Chemoprevention: A new concept for cancer prevention in primary care.

Background: Prevention of cancer in primary care has focused on modifying behaviours associated with increased risk of cancer (primary prevention) or increasing participation in national cancer screening programs (secondary prevention). On the basis of metaanalyses of large prevention trials, a new paradigm in primary prevention – chemoprevention – is beginning to enter the realms of primary care for specific populations.

Objectives: In this article, we discuss two examples of cancer chemoprevention relevant to general practice: low-dose aspirin for the prevention of colorectal cancer in people aged 50–70 years, and selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) for women at increased risk of breast cancer.