Age & Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is a drug taken orally in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Tamoxifen is effective in preventing recurring breast cancer as well as inhibiting the development of cancer in the opposite breast.

Age-Related

Tamoxifen's effect on breast cancer is related to age. Women under 40 are least likely to respond to tamoxifen, while women 40 to 50 show some response. Those who seem to benefit the most from tamoxifen are patients over 50, notes Imaginis.com. At present, it is unknown why younger women fail to respond to tamoxifen as well as older women. It could be that younger women are still producing estrogen but older women aren't.

Good Response in Older Women

Older women respond so well to this drug that if given in the earliest stages of breast cancer, tamoxifen can reduce or even eliminate breast tumors. The result is that a lumpectomy can be performed instead of a mastectomy.

How It Works

Tamoxifen works by battling the estrogen in breast cancer cells. At the same time, it apes the positive effects of estrogen in other parts of the body. The drug is believed to reduce a post-menopausal woman's risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

References

• Imaginis.com: Tamoxifen
• Mayo Clinic: Tamoxifen