Hello,
Tamoxifen is a treatment that has been used for over 20 years. It is used when women have what is called hormone-dependent cancers, that is to say cancers that feed on the body's hormones such as estrogen. Even after menopause, certain glands other than the ovaries will continue to secrete hormones and the drug will block their use by the cancer. Thus, it reduces the risk of a recurrence of the cancer. Indeed, even if the cancer is local (stage I) and no lymph nodes are involved, there is a risk that the cancer will develop in your other breast. At this time, we believe that micro-metastases, which cannot be detected with our devices, can spread the cancer after years
The drug is usually given for at least 5 years, because the first 5 years are more at risk of recurrence. Here are the beneficial effects of the medication
- Reduced risk of cancer recurrence by 30-40%.
- Reduction of the risk of mortality by 34%.
Obviously, the drug can be linked to side effects. You will find, in the leaflet below, very complete information on the drug:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zaqom8svdseop7x/GEOQ%20-%20feuillet%20Tamoxif%C3%A8ne.pdf?dl=0 I do not know your specific situation, so if you have more specific questions or uncomfortable side effects, I would invite you to talk to your oncologist or your pharmacist.