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The dreaded Tamoxifen

I don't know if there's another breast cancer drug with a worse reputation than Tamoxifen. I'm in a lot of breast cancer groups on Facebook, and this pill is a hot topic that pops up frequently, and very rarely does it ever receive a glowing review...

Tamoxifen may be the oldest of the hormonal therapies, but it works for a great majority of us! And while there are other options, I'd definitely suggest giving it the ole college try before writing it off. Everyone's chemical make up is different. So while some women may have adverse reactions, you (like me) may be one of the lucky ones who tolerates it well!

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 Tamoxifen evolution

Tamoxifen’s introduction was timely as it heralded the era of powerful and, perhaps more importantly, better-tolerated agents targeting oestrogen signalling in breast cancers. Multiple randomised trials demonstrated that tamoxifen was equivalent in time to progression and survival and not inferior to the other SERMs tested. The adjuvant therapy and prevention trials versus placebo (or no treatment) indicated that 5 years of tamoxifen was the standard for the reduction of both relapse and breast cancer incidence. However, with time, improved aromatase inhibitors and the development of SERDs such as fulvestrant have led to a reduction in the indications for tamoxifen and it is now mainly used as adjuvant therapy for lower-risk premenopausal breast cancer and for prevention.

Articles of Interest

Why So Many of Us Quit Taking Tamoxifen

Based on the survey results, tamoxifen causes difficult quality-of-life issues for most patients. It’s concerning that only 40 percent of respondents reported finding relief for those symptoms. I can relate to the comments that doctors did not take their patients’ side effects seriously. I felt that my doctors presented side effects as something you simply have to live with. However, waking up in a pool of sweat, having frequent hot flashes and not being able to concentrate at your job is not sustainable.

Tamoxifen as an immunotherapy

Antiestrogen drugs may treat some estrogen receptor–negative tumors by limiting the proliferation and activity of suppressive immune cells.

Tamoxifen May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer

Scientists are reporting what they say is the best evidence yet that the drug Tamoxifen can prevent breast cancer. But some researchers say the drug — which is used primarily to treat women who've already had breast cancer — may be of limited use to other women.

Tamoxifen. It’s Saving My Life, But it’s Killing My Self-esteem

In this new, monthly column, senior writer and editor Adriana Ermter shares her personal experiences with breast cancer By Adriana Ermter I could cry writing this. Or maybe screaming for five minutes into a pillow so my neighbours don’t hear me would feel better. The walls in my condo aren’t that thick. Either way, my reality’s not changing any time soon. And by reality, I mean my body and the extra weight it has been lugging around since I started taking Tamoxifen a year ago.

Tamoxifen: A love hate relationship

It was 18 months post my breast cancer diagnosis when I finally took time to slow down for a beat and check in on myself; with how I was actually, really, doing. The woman I saw when I drew back the curtain was a far cry from the happy, healthy, grateful woman I was presenting to the world every day. The façade was exhausting, and whilst studying myself, raw and vulnerable for the first time, I knew the causes stemmed from my experience with cancer, Tamoxifen and surgically induced menopause. While I appreciate that every woman reacts differently to the drug and its side effects, I believe that sharing our stories is both helpful for others, and therapeutic for ourselves.

An Update on Tamoxifen and the Chemo-Preventive Potential of Vitamin E in Breast Cancer Management

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female cancer in terms of incidence and mortality worldwide. Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) is a widely prescribed, oral anti-estrogen drug for the hormonal treatment of estrogen-receptor-positive BC, which represents 70% of all BC subtypes. This review assesses the current knowledge on the molecular pharmacology of tamoxifen in terms of its anticancer and chemo-preventive actions. Due to the importance of vitamin E compounds, which are widely taken as a supplementary dietary component, the review focuses only on the potential importance of vitamin E in BC chemo-prevention.

Breast cancer drug tamoxifen has long-term effect, study finds

Researchers say preventive effect of tamoxifen is highly significant with reduction in breast cancer rates of around a third.

By the way, doctor: Should I switch from tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor?

You're asking a good question at just the right time in your breast cancer treatment. These days, women like yourself have more choices than they did even a few years ago. Since the 1980s, tamoxifen has been the standard treatment after initial surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for women whose tumors are fueled by hormones, chiefly estrogen.

By the way, doctor: Tamoxifen versus aromatase inhibitors

Breast cancer is classified according to whether it has receptors for the female hormone estrogen. If the cancer has estrogen receptors — or, as cancer specialists say, it is estrogen-receptor (ER) positive — estrogen can stimulate the cells to grow and divide, resulting in more cancer. About two-thirds of all breast cancers are ER-positive. The good news is that ER-positive tumors tend to be less aggressive than those that are ER-negative, so the prognosis tends to be quite a bit better. Still, blunting the effects of estrogen is important for preventing recurrence

Does the breast cancer drug tamoxifen have side-effects?

The British-invented drug has changed the course of breast cancer by preventing recurrences – but it can make life miserable for some. Women must weigh up the risks and benefits for themselves.

How to deal with tamoxifen side effects

Tamoxifen was the first specific hormone-based therapy to be used in breast cancer treatment that demonstrated significant clinical success. It is used in the treatment of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women and men whose breast cancer biopsies show elevated levels of the oestrogen receptor. Tamoxifen as well as other hormone therapies can reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back. Clinical trials have demonstrated that taking tamoxifen for 5 years compared to not taking it can reduce your risk of cancer coming back by approximately 50% and approximately 30% lower during the next 5 years.

Introducing Tamoxifen: A Comprehensive Resource for Breast Cancer Treatment

Renowned as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), Tamoxifen, available under brand names like Nolvadex® and Soltamox®, is a key player in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Our guide delves deep into its workings, applications, and significance in both men and women’s treatment regimens.

Longer Use Helps Cancer Drug's Effect

Tamoxifen has long been a workhorse treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer, though in recent years a separate class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors has emerged as the preferred option for many such women. Tamoxifen is given after surgery to remove tumors.

Rare Side Effect Seen From Breast Cancer Drug

A new report suggests that a drug widely used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer may have a rare but dangerous side effect, increasing the odds that long-term users may develop an uncommon but aggressive new tumor. But medical experts were quick to question the significance and methodology of the study, saying clinical trials had repeatedly found that the drug, tamoxifen, reduced the recurrence and spread of common breast cancers and that its benefits exceeded any possible risks.

Ringworm: Tamoxifen’s Secret Side Effect

Like many women, post breast cancer surgery and treatment, who are handed a five-year Tamoxifen prescription, I was warned that I may experience some of the chemo-laced drug’s side effects such as, joint pain, vaginal dryness and ongoing nausea, yet no one breathed a word about the potential for ringworm.

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are one of three types of hormonal therapy medicines used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in women — both pre- and post-menopausal — and men. There are three SERMs doctors use to treat breast cancer: tamoxifen in pill form, also called tamoxifen citrate (brand name Nolvadex), and in liquid form (brand name: Soltamox). Evista (chemical name: raloxifene), Fareston (chemical name: toremifene).

When Lowering the Odds of Cancer Isn’t Enough

If someone invented a pill to cut a cancer risk in half, would you take it? Who wouldn’t? Apparently the answer is millions of women people like Cindy Birkhold of Sarasota, Fla. The pill is tamoxifen, It is true that tamoxifen can have side effects, some of them serious. Among 1,000 similar 52-year-old women, the drug would be expected to cause 21 additional cases of endometrial cancer, a cancer of the uterine lining that is typically treatable when caught early. An additional 21 would develop blood clots, 31 would develop cataracts and 12 would develop sexual problems. And while more than half of the 1,000 women would naturally develop hormonal symptoms like hot flashes, changes in vaginal discharge or irregular periods, tamoxifen would cause those symptoms in about an additional 120 women.

Why a popular breast cancer drug may be less effective for some Africans

A genetic variant commonly found in some Africans may stymie the effects of a popular breast cancer drug. The variant produces a sluggish version of the enzyme known to activate tamoxifen. People who inherit two copies of the variant show five times less active drug in their bloodstreams compared with people who don’t have that variant,