More Dangers of Tamoxifen
August 31, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Women's Health
Make no mistake, Tamoxifen has been shown to do some amazing things when it comes to the treatment of breast cancer. Women who take the drug for five years “are less likely to die of breast cancer” and even more astonishing, less likely to have it return. However, as with many drugs, Tamoxifen has some side effects and dangers also.
Side effects such as strokes, blood clots and even sometimes, cataracts, has already been documented. A new study says that patients who took Tamoxifen “more than quadrupled their chances of coming down with a rare and deadlier type of breast cancer.” Apparently, the drug works because it helps prevent cancer cells from binding to estrogen in the body. The rare kind of cancer is one in which the cells don’t bind to estrogen.
More studies will obviously be needed. Despite this news, Tamoxifen may just be the right drug for patients. Women are advised to talk to the doctors about the risks and benefits of Tamoxifen.
Image: sxc.hu.
