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Back to Oncology Drug index
Name: Tamoxifen citrate
Pregnancy Category D
Drug classes
Therapeutic actions
Potent antiestrogenic effects: competes with estrogen for binding
sites in
target tissues, such as the breast.
Indications
- Adjunct with cytotoxic chemotherapy following radical or modified
radical
mastectomy to delay recurrence of surgically curable breast cancer in
postmenopausal women or women older than 50 y with positive axillary
nodes
- Treatment of advanced, metastatic breast cancer in women and men
- Unlabeled uses: treatment of mastalgia; useful for decreasing size and
pain of gynecomastia; preventive therapy for women at high risk of
breast
cancer; treatment of pancreatic carcinoma
Contraindications/cautions
- Allergy to tamoxifen, pregnancy, lactation.
Adverse effects
- CNS: Depression, lightheadedness, dizziness, headache, corneal
opacity,
decreased visual acuity, retinopathy
- GI: Nausea, vomiting, food distaste
- Hematologic: Hypercalcemia, especially in patients with bone
metastases,
thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, anemia
- GU: Vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, menstrual irregularities,
pruritus vulvae
- Dermatologic: Hot flashes, skin rash
- Other: Peripheral edema; increased bone and tumor pain and local
disease
(initially seen with a good tumor response, usually subsides); cancer
in
animal studies
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