Tamoxifen is the most widely prescribed cancer drug in the world. Also called tamoxifen citrate, tamoxifen is am anti-estrogen drug used to help treat and prevent certain types of breast cancer in women and men. The drug works by blocking the growth of the human breast through estrogen, and thus also blocks the estrogen that feeds breast cancer tumors. Although tamoxifen is being looked at as a treatment for other forms of cancer, the complications it presents to those taking the drug can be severe.
Cancer of the Uterus
In clinical tests on those taking the drug, it was found that there is a higher incidence of uterine cancer than in those not taking the drug. Although the tamoxifen creates a weaker form of estrogen that helps to block natural estrogen in the breast, the weaker estrogen was found to be much more aggressive in the uterus, leading to uterine malignancy.
Menopause
It has been found that tamoxifen can bring on menopausal symptoms when a woman is menstruating. Many experience hot flashes, fluid buildup and rapid weight gain. Other symptoms in menstruating women include vaginal discharge and vaginal atrophy.
Blood clots
According to a 1991 study by the FDA Oncological Drugs Advisory Committee, those taking tamoxifen were seven times as likely to have a fatal blood clot as those not taking the drug. Tamoxifen is an irritant to vein walls and causes inflammation. By taking the drug, there is a cycle of irritation and inflammation that weakens the vein wall structure. It often results in bleeding, clotting and in some cases, complete blockage of the vessel.
Liver Damage
Toxic to the liver, the taking of tamoxifen has been shown to result in hepatitis. In virtually every animal study conducted with the drug, there was liver damage. This does not bode well for human treatment. There have been reports of acute hepatitis in patients treated with tamoxifen. For those taking the drug in excess of two years, the potential for liver damage rose sixfold.
