A recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine indicated clear evidence that 10 years of tamoxifen therapy does reduce local recurrence and improve breast cancer-free survival. However, it also reported that extended use (10 years rather than five) was linked with a two-fold increase in endometrial cancer.
Full Answer
How long should you take tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer?
Overall, from 5 to 14 years after participants began tamoxifen treatment, the risk of the cancer returning and the risk of dying from breast cancer were lower in women who took tamoxifen for 10 years, compared with those who took it for 5 years. (See the table.)
What are the side effects of tamoxifen after 5 years?
Breast Cancer Recurrence and Death 5 to 14 Years after Beginning 5 or 10 Years of Adjuvant Tamoxifen Tamoxifen can have side effects, including hot flashes, fatigue, and an increased risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer.
Does tamoxifen increase risk of endometrial cancer?
The absolute increased risk of death from endometrial cancer in women who took tamoxifen for 10 years versus 5 years was 0.2 percent. The risk-benefit ratio of any treatment must always be seriously considered, he stressed.
How many women have been enrolled in the tamoxifen trial?
Nearly 7,000 women with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were enrolled in the trial between 1996 and 2005. After taking tamoxifen for 5 years, participants were randomly assigned to continue taking tamoxifen for another 5 years or to stop taking it.
Can your period come back while taking tamoxifen?
Generally, your periods will start again once you stop taking tamoxifen, as long as you have not gone through the menopause naturally while taking the drug. It may take four to five months for your periods to become regular again.
Is it normal to bleed while on tamoxifen?
Abnormal uterine bleeding occurs in more than 50% of premenopausal women taking tamoxifen,58,60 and in this group of women, up to 23% will have an underlying endometrial abnormality such as polyps, hyperplasia, or EC.
Can cancer come back after tamoxifen?
Tamoxifen can have side effects, including hot flashes, fatigue, and an increased risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer....Ten Years of Tamoxifen Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrences, Improves Survival.5 Years10 YearsRisk of Recurrence25.1 percent21.4 percent1 more row•Mar 20, 2013
How much does tamoxifen reduce the risk of recurrence?
Doctors have long known that five years of tamoxifen reduces recurrence by about half during treatment and by nearly a third over the next five years. Aromatase inhibitors, which work only in postmenopausal women, are even more effective than tamoxifen at reducing recurrence and death from breast cancer.
Why am I having a period while on tamoxifen?
The reason is, because tamoxifen acts like oestrogen on the lining of the womb, it is very common for it to cause a build-up of the normal lining of the womb, which occasionally is shed, a bit like a normal period. In more than 90 per cent of cases, vaginal bleeding in women taking tamoxifen is completely benign.
Can tamoxifen cause post menopausal bleeding?
Tamoxifen is a common adjuvant therapy in the treatment of hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, and is known to increase the risk of simple endometrial hyperplasia, complex atypical hyperplasia, and endometrioid adenocarcinoma, and therefore can result in abnormal uterine bleeding.
Can breast cancer return after 10 years?
Although most relapses occur during the first 5 years after diagnosis, late recurrence has been reported, especially in luminal breast cancer. Unlike most solid malignancies, breast cancer may recur 5–10 years after initial treatment.
Can cancer come back after 10 years?
Most cancers that are going to come back will do so in the first 2 years or so after treatment. After 5 years, you are even less likely to get a recurrence. For some types of cancer, after 10 years your doctor might say that you are cured. Some types of cancer can come back many years after they were first diagnosed.
What are the signs of breast cancer returning?
What are the symptoms of breast cancer recurrence?Breast lump or bumps on or under the chest.Nipple changes, such as flattening or nipple discharge.Swollen skin or skin that pulls near the lumpectomy site.Thickening on or near the surgical scar.Unusually firm breast tissue.
Can you take tamoxifen for more than 10 years?
A recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine indicated clear evidence that 10 years of tamoxifen therapy does reduce local recurrence and improve breast cancer-free survival. However, it also reported that extended use (10 years rather than five) was linked with a two-fold increase in endometrial cancer.
What are the long term effects of tamoxifen?
Conversely, treatment with 5 years of tamoxifen can cause side-effects such as endometrial cancer and thromboembolic disease,1,5 and continuing tamoxifen for an additional 5 years is likely to increase these side-effects.
How long does tamoxifen stay in your system?
How long does tamoxifen stay in your system? Tamoxifen stays active in the body for about 1 to 2 weeks after your last dose but can take about 3 months to completely leave your system.
How common are blood clots with tamoxifen?
The annual rate of deep vein thrombosis in tamoxifen users was 1.34 per 1000 women. No note was taken of the presence of risk factors in those who developed VTE.
Do tamoxifen side effects get worse over time?
Women who expect to have more and more severe side effects before hormonal therapy starts do have worse side effects after 2 years of treatment.
Does tamoxifen cause menstrual cramps?
If you are female, call your doctor right away if you have pain when passing urine, pelvic pain or pressure, period (menstrual) changes like no period, vaginal bleeding that is not normal, or vaginal discharge. Some males have had sexual problems when taking this drug.
Can you drink alcohol while on tamoxifen?
Alcohol can raise the risk of side effects with tamoxifen, some of which can be serious. Alcohol makes it harder for tamoxifen to work properly and should be limited or avoided while you're taking this medication. Alcohol can raise your risk of developing breast cancer.
How long does it take for breast cancer to return after taking Tamoxifen?
Among the women who took tamoxifen for 10 years, the risk of breast cancer returning between 10 and 14 years after starting tamoxifen was 25 percent lower than it was among women who took it for 5 years, and the risk of dying from breast cancer was nearly 30 percent lower.
How long did tamoxifen last?
Nearly 7,000 women with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were enrolled in the trial between 1996 and 2005. After taking tamoxifen for 5 years , participants were randomly assigned to continue taking tamoxifen for another 5 years or to stop taking it.
Does tamoxifen reduce breast cancer?
It found that continuing adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen beyond 5 years did not decrease breast cancer recurrences or deaths. Why the trials had different findings is unclear. However, with its larger size and longer follow-up, the ATLAS results are more definitive, noted several researchers. The ATLAS results will have "a major, immediate impact ...
Does tamoxifen cause cancer?
Tamoxifen can have side effects, including hot flashes, fatigue, and an increased risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer. But there was no substantial increase in serious side effects, including endometrial cancer incidence or death, in women who took tamoxifen for the longer period, Gray reported. The absolute increased risk of death ...
Who is the advocate for adjuvant tamoxifen?
on her "Chemobrain" blog, breast cancer survivor and cancer advocate AnneMarie Ciccarella urged women who are candidates for adjuvant tamoxifen, regardless of their menopausal status, to carefully consider their options. "Sit down with your doctor. Ask questions.
Is Atlas a major impact on premenopausal women?
The ATLAS results will have "a major, immediate impact on premenopausal women" with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, said Peter Ravdin, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, who moderated the press briefing.
Can aromatase inhibitors be used for premenopausal women?
However, aromatase inhibitors are not effective in premenopausal women, Dr. Ravdin explained, so tamoxifen is the standard of care in these patients.
Stopping tamoxifen after 10 years
I noticed you haven't heard back from the Cancer Chat community just yet so whilst you wait I just wanted to offer you a very warm welcome to the forum and let you know your post has been seen.
Stopping tamoxifen after 10 years
Like Steph, I just want to welcome you to our forum. I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer and took Tamoxifen for 1 year after my original lumpectomy. I then changed to Letrozole after a double mastectomy and took this for 6½ years. I stopped taking this in July 2017.
Stopping tamoxifen after 10 years
So glad l have found this forum. I have come off tamoxifen in the last few months after taking it for 10 years. Would have happily kept taking it as l had no side effects taking it and felt it was protecting me but now l seem to have lots of the side effects that l am reading on here. Tired and exhausted all the time.
Stopping tamoxifen after 10 years
I had two wide local excisions followed by intra operative radiotherapy, in both cases, in January and February 2012. I am part of a clinical trial in relation to the radiation treatment.
Stopping tamoxifen after 10 years
Hi I stopped taking tamoxifen after 10 years in July and am now experiencing night sweats, hot flushes (Not as bad as I did originally but they had practically disappeared over the years) and bouts of anxiety/uncertainty over the last few weeks ..Has anyone else experienced this? I wasn't told to expect this at all and am surprised at how emotional I'm feeling ..