Tamoxifen, commercially known as Nolvadex, is usually prescribed by breast cancer specialists and is considered a pill. The patient will stay on medication for about five years.
Usually a woman's cancer will be tested to see if she is sensitive to estrogen levels in the system. If the cancer is sensitive to estrogen, it will be given tamoxifen.
Because tamoxifen is such a weakened estrogen, its estrogen signals do not significantly promote cell growth. And because of its proximity to estrogen, it inhibits the growth of estrogen-induced cancer cells. In this way, tamoxifen acts as an "anti-estrogen."
Tamoxifen may also replace natural estrogen in receptors for healthy breast cells. Thus it inhibits growth, and possibly stops abnormal growth and development of completely new breast cancer. By preventing natural estrogen from reaching the receptors, tamoxifen helps reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women who have never had breast cancer. It can also help women who already have breast cancer in the breast by reducing the risk of developing breast cancer in another breast.
One study found that radiation and tamoxifen were significantly better than tamoxifen alone in reducing the risk of recurrent breast cancer after lumpectomy in women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. This was true even of women with very little cancer.
For premenstrual women, tamoxifen is the best hormone replacement therapy. But tamoxifen is no longer the first option for post-menopausal women. If you have been taking tamoxifen for two to three years and are now discontinued, your doctor may recommend that you switch to an aromatase inhibitor to complete your five years of hormone therapy. However, you can still get great benefits if you take tamoxifen for up to five years and switch to an aromatase inhibitor.
Tamoxifen was first used to fight breast cancer at Christie Hospital in Manchester, England, in 1969. It has since proven its importance as a means of preventing the spread or re-emergence of the disease in women who are already being treated for it.
Only 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers are genetic. Genetic testing can determine if you have benefited from mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which are key to the development of other breast cancers. However, having a mutated gene does not guarantee that you will get breast cancer. If you have concerns about your family history and personal risk, talk to your doctor about whether genetic testing is right for you.
Taking Preventive Measures-Making Healthy Living Choices
There are many factors that can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. While some risks, such as being a woman and growing up, are beyond your control, others can be controlled. For example, risk factors such as alcoholism, lack of exercise, and obesity are all factors that you can work on.
Helping Your Mother With Breast Cancer
If your mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, she needs your support. From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, your mother's family and friends network will be an integral part of her support system.
However, it was noted back in the early 1980's that some women who received cancer treatment in one breast did not develop tumor growth in another. This has led to the suggestion that Tamoxifen may play another role in preventing those women who are at risk of developing breast cancer but who do not yet have symptoms of the disease.
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