What Is Tamoxifen Therapy?

Tamoxifen therapy provides the rare opportunity for women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer to take action before receiving a diagnosis. The possibility of severe side effects exists, making it important to seriously weigh the benefits and consequences of this therapy.

Identification

• Tamoxifen is an oral medication that influences the effects of estrogen in the breast. It prevents cells that need estrogen to form breast cancer from getting the estrogen they need. In other parts of the body, the medication causes an increase in estrogen that can assist with many symptoms of menopause.

Uses

• Estrogen is a factor in developing breast cancer, therefore Tamoxifen has been found to help prevent and treat early stages. It has also been found useful in maintaining bone health after menopause and lowering cholesterol.

Side Effects

• Tamoxifen has side effects that resemble menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal discharge. Other side effects include an irregular period, headaches, fatigue and nausea.

Long-Term Effects

• Some effects of Tamoxifen do not show up for months or years after the medication has been taken. Examples of these are an increased chance of developing uterine cancer, liver cancer and cataracts.

Precautions

• The lengthy list of side effects makes it important to weigh the benefits against the possible problems when deciding to take this medication. Follow-up care is also necessary to rule out long-term effects that might appear several years after this treatment is no longer taken.