What is Tamoxifen and how does it work?
I never knew what this was until I was diagnosed, did you? Let’s talk Tamoxifen! How are you doing with it? What do you think of it? Can you please share so we can help others cope with this medication.
Hormone therapy is only used for breast cancers that are found to have receptors for the naturally occurring hormones estrogen or progesterone.
Hormone therapy for breast cancer is often used after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer will return. Hormone therapy for breast cancer may also be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, making it more likely the cancer will be removed completely.
If your cancer has spread to other parts of your body, hormone therapy for breast cancer may help control it.
One approach to hormone therapy is to stop the hormones from attaching to the receptors on the cancer cells. When the hormones can’t access the cancer cells, the tumor growth may slow and the cells may die.
——————————————————————
Breast cancer medications that have this action include:
Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is usually taken daily in pill form. It’s often used to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer. In this situation, it’s typically taken for five to 10 years.
Tamoxifen may also be used to treat advanced cancer. Tamoxifen is appropriate for both premenopausal women and postmenopausal women.