Study Raises Questions About Tamoxifen Safety
The most recent edition of ‘Cancer Research’ includes a study which has begun to raise questions regarding the effects of prolonged use of Tamoxifen, a popular drug prescribed for breast cancer patients. Tamoxifen works to block the effect of estrogen, which reduces recurrence and spread of tumors which are estrogen-sensitive, such as breast cancer.
The report, written by Dr. Christopher I. Li, looks at a study completed by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. The study involved 728 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 367 other women diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer and shows that extended use of Tamoxifen leaves a patient four times more likely to develop a new tumor which is not estrogen-sensitive. Although rare, these tumors are much harder to treat than their estrogen sensitive counterparts.
The report continued by illustrating that patients who take Tamoxifen for 5 years have a 60 percent lower risk of developing any form of cancer or tumor growth in the second breast and are less likely to die of breast cancer, because Tamoxifen works to interrupt how cancer cells bind to estrogen. Most breast cancer tumors are estrogen-sensitive which leaves Tamoxifen as a highly recommended treatment despite the newly revealed risks.
Other known side effects of Tamoxifen include an increased risk of stroke, cataracts, and blood clots. Dr. Li states that the benefits still far outweigh the risks, and current or new treatments should not be interrupted due to these new findings.
