After surgeons removed the tumor from her breast last November, Karen Hajiaskari, of Hamburg, N.Y., was deemed cancer-free. But for the next five years she will take a drug called tamoxifen, a medication that's commonly used to prevent a breast cancer recurrence. Given the persistent nature of cancer, drug treatment often extends for years, even if cancerous cells can't be visibly detected. More than 50 drugs and five drug combinations have been approved for breast cancer treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute. Newer therapies on the horizon include vaccines and drug combinations. Any treatment given after the primary therapy, which is usually surgery, is considered...
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