For women, breast cancer can be one of the scariest cancer diagnoses. Not only is their health and life at risk, but if they survive their cancer, they face the very real possibility of drastic surgery that can serious affect their self image. As such, the treatments associated with breast cancer treatment and prevention, especially those that are non-invasive such as medication, are in high demand. Women are screened more often for breast cancer than any other medical condition and many prescription preventative measures such as Tamoxifen are widely used, especially for women with previously positive mammograms.
Tamoxifen works by inhibiting estrogen. Many forms of breast cancer require a steady supply of estrogen in order to continue growing. As such, using a medication like Tamoxifen to block estrogen from doing its job essentially starves the cancerous tumors and prevents further growth. Women with exceptionally high risk for breast cancer are often prescribed this or similar medications to help prevent cancerous tumors from forming. However, due to the high risk of injury to an unborn fetus, most doctors require women of child bearing years to use birth control while taking Tamoxifen and to stop treatment if they become pregnant.
Patients with a high risk of or currently being treated for liver disease, stroke, cataract or raised triglyceride levels, should not use Tamoxifen without discussing these conditions first. Additionally, patients undergoing radiation treatments or chemotherapy, even for breast cancer, should not use this medication without tests and proper dosing to ensure patient safety. There are marked increases in the risk of uterine cancer, blot clots in the lungs, as well as stroke in patients who use estrogen-blocking medications such as Tamoxifen, so these concerns should also be addressed with your physician, primary care provider, or other medical professional.
