Tamoxifen News and Research

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Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat certain types of breast cancer in women and men. It is also used to prevent breast cancer in women who have had ductal carcinoma in situ (abnormal cells in the ducts of the breast) and in women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer. Tamoxifen is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. It blocks the effects of the hormone estrogen in the breast. Tamoxifen is a type of antiestrogen. Also called tamoxifen citrate.

Study focuses on best treatment for older women with receptor negative early breast cancer

Older women with hormone receptor negative early breast cancer who may currently be missing out on effective post-operative anticancer drugs will be able to participate in a new clinical trial specifically aimed at this group of women.

27 Jan 2005

Call for Anastrozole (Arimidex) to be the new preferred breast cancer treatment option

An international group of breast cancer experts called for the aromatase inhibitor (AI), anastrozole ('Arimidex'), to be considered as the new 'preferred treatment option' for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer.

24 Jan 2005

Many women at high risk for breast cancer are foregoing tamoxifen

Many women at high risk for breast cancer are foregoing tamoxifen, the first FDA-approved drug for prevention of breast cancer, due to concerns about side effects, increased risk of other cancers, and lack of information, a new study by researchers in Boston shows. The study was published in the December 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

20 Dec 2004

Landmark studies that may change the treatment standards for breast cancer

The 27th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium that took place December 8-11 included the presentation of several landmark studies that may change the treatment standards for breast cancer.

14 Dec 2004

Women over the age of 60 with low-risk breast cancer may not need to receive radiation therapy after surgery

The current treatment standard recommended for most women with early stage breast cancer is breast conservation therapy, consisting of lumpectomy following by radiotherapy. The purpose of the radiotherapy is to kill any tumor cells in the remaining breast area that may have been missed by the surgery.

13 Dec 2004

An errant enzyme linked to bipolar disorder impairs awareness, perception and reasoning

The disturbed thinking, impaired judgment, impulsivity, and distractibility seen in mania, a destructive phase of bipolar disorder, may be traceable to overactivity of protein kinase C (PKC), suggests the study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the Stanley Foundation.

1 Nov 2004

Tamoxifen use for the treatment of breast cancer is not associated with an increased risk of stroke

Tamoxifen use for the treatment of breast cancer is not associated with an increased risk of stroke, according to a new study in the October 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. However, chemotherapy use is associated with an increased risk of stroke, regardless of tamoxifen use.

21 Oct 2004

Presentation of the most recent and advanced work in the rapidly progressing field of fertility preservation

Each year approximately 50,000 women under the age of 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatments vary but most involve the administration of chemotherapeutic agents or radiation which can disrupt ovarian function or damage a patient’s eggs.

18 Oct 2004

Estrogen protects male rats from aortic aneurysms

When it comes to abdominal aortic aneurysms – life-threatening bulges or weak areas in the main artery feeding blood to the lower half of the body – new U-M research shows that it is definitely better to be female.

12 Oct 2004

Tamoxifen increases risk of stroke in women slightly

A recent analysis of tamoxifen studies completed since 1980 revealed an increased risk of stroke in women who were randomized to tamoxifen versus placebo or other therapies. Details of the analysis and the researchers' conclusions are reported in the October 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Oct 2004

Radiation therapy and tamoxifen helps prevent cancer returning

Early stage breast cancer patients over the age of 50 can greatly minimize their chances of recurrence after surgery by receiving radiation therapy in addition to taking tamoxifen, a hormonal therapy

5 Oct 2004

Researchers show gossypol – a drug refined from cottonseed oil is a cancer treatment booster

New research has opened up the prospect that gossypol – a drug refined from cottonseed oil and previously tried and abandoned as a male contraceptive – could boost the effectiveness of treatment for prostate tumours and possibly other common cancers as well.

30 Sep 2004

Scientists embark on a five-year study of the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements on various body tissues

A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is embarking on a comprehensive five-year study of the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements on various body tissues.

29 Sep 2004

Small proportion of women eligible for discussions about use of tamoxifen to prevent cancer

A survey conducted in primary care practices showed that a small proportion of women are eligible for discussions about use of tamoxifen to prevent cancer, and of those women, the proportion of breast cancers that would be prevented is also small

26 Sep 2004

New project to tailor health messages for African Americans based on their ethnic identity

Ken Resnicow has worked with Black churches for more than a decade to foster healthy behavior among their members, including quitting smoking, getting more physical activity and eating healthier.

16 Sep 2004

Women over 70 are safe to not have radiation treatment after heaving a lumpectomy

Two new studies reported in The New England Journal of Medicine suggest that older women with breast cancer are safe to not have radiation treatment after heaving a lumpectomy.

1 Sep 2004

Surgery plus radiation therapy an effective way to treat early breast cancer in women aged 70 and older

For early breast cancer, the standard of care is surgery to remove the cancerous lump followed by radiation therapy, thereby allowing the patient to keep her breast. However, older women are not always offered this option.

1 Sep 2004

Receptor for estrogen in ovarian cells has been shown to suppress tumor growth

An important receptor for estrogen in ovarian cells has been shown to suppress tumor growth, according to a new study published in the August 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

15 Aug 2004

The largest North American breast cancer prevention trial ever undertaken has reached its goal of enrolling 19,000 women

The largest North American breast cancer prevention trial ever undertaken, the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR), reached its goal of enrolling 19,000 women to the trial in June 2004, a month earlier than originally expected.

13 Aug 2004

Adhering to established guidelines improves survival and reduces the risk of breast cancer

The first study to compare survival between women with breast cancer whose treatment was based on consensus guidelines and those whose treatment was not shows that adhering to established guidelines improves survival and reduces the risk of recurrence.

3 Aug 2004