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Tamoxifen (Novaldex) |
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Your doctor has recommended a medication called Nolvadex which contains tamoxifen. Nolvadex is supplied by Astrazeneca who sponsored and performed most of the original work showing major benefits for patients with breast cancer. Other companies now also make and supply tamoxifen. Some patients report less side effects with different suppliers. This page provides extra information about Nolvadex, summarises possible side effects and methods to alleviate them. How do they work? Some tumours such as breast cancer are stimulated by the body's own female hormone (Oestrogen). Stopping the bodies oestrogen reaching the tumour can cause the cancer cells to stop growing and in some cases shrivel up and die completely (self destruct - apoptosis). Tamoxifen stops oestrogen stimulating a cancer cell in two main ways. Firstly it stops the cancer cells ability to read the oestrogen in the blood stream. Breast cancer cells have receptors in the same way as a TV needs an aerial. If the aerial is damaged the TV can't show a clear picture. In the same way if the receptor on the cell is blocked it can't be influence by the body's hormones, despite often normal levels in the blood stream. In this case the receptors are called oestrogen receptors and are blocked by tamoxifen. This is why tamoxifen is sometimes referred to as a receptor antagonist. These receptors can be measured by performing a special test on the tissue removed from the tumour (Oestrogen receptor tests). If a tumour is oestrogen receptor positive it is much more likely to respond to tamoxifen. The brain can't tell the difference between this chemical and the body's oestrogen and thinks the ovaries are producing too many hormones including oestrogen. As a consequence the body switches off the driving signal from the brain to the ovaries by itself - this results in reducing the blood level of oestrogen. How are they taken? Nolvadex is usually prescribed as a single daily dose of 20 mg. Many women like to take it at the same time each day – the actual time does not matter. Some women prefer to take it with food as it very rarely may cause nausea and leave a metallic taste in your mouth. Some women prefer to take it last thing at night because it reduces the hot flushes in the day. Other Women find they tolerate it better if they split the dose to 10mg twice a day. Try to find a convenient time and stick to it as its easier to remember to take the tablets in the long term. If you forget to take your tablet don’t panic – levels of the drug in your blood will not change very much – but try not to miss more than one or two tablets in a row. Remember to get a new prescription a couple of weeks before you run out of the tablets and make sure you have plenty for holidays etc. What are they taken for? There are three main reasons why hormone therapy is recommended for patients with breast cancer:- 1. Adjuvant therapy 2. Neoadjuvant therapy 3. Palliative / primary therapy Alternatively, Nolvadex is used as the primary treatment for a breast lumps in patients, usually elderly who are unfit or unwilling to have surgery. In these latter two categories, your oncologist would require a full re-assessment of your disease at regular intervals to check whether it is working effectively. If not, the regime could be stopped or changed. (There is another category which is at the research stage but may be talked about in the press. Tamoxifen is given to offer protection from breast cancer to women who have a high risk of developing the disease. High risk is defined as having one or more close relatives (mother, sister) who had breast cancer before they were 50. The trials will run for several years and it is hoped that tamoxifen will be successful in preventing the development of breast cancer in these women. What are the possible side effects of Nolvadex? Because people react to drugs in different ways, it is impossible to predict who is going to have side effects. Many women who take Nolvadex have no side effects at all while others will experience them. Some women find that one brand of tamoxifen causes more or less side effects than another, so if you experience side effects you may wish to ask your doctor if you can change to a different brand. If side effects are severe, you may have to stop tasking the drug and a different hormonal drug may be prescribed. The commonest side effects, apart from nausea, are hot flushes and sweats, particularly at night.
Sometimes the flushes will gradually lessen over the first few months but some women continue to have them for as long as they take tamoxifen. There are a number of ways to help reduce or control hot flushes and sweats. Some women find it helpful to avoid or cut down on tea, coffee, nicotine and alcohol. Evening primrose oil has been reported to be helpful in reducing sweats but it does not work for all women and it is very expensive. There are a lot of calories in Evening Primrose Oil so it may be fattening in some women - other dietary advice for hot flushes can include soya and linseeds and can be found in the diet section of this website. Some women have found complementary therapies have helped, and your GP may be able to give you details about obtaining these on the NHS. If you find your own therapist makes sure he or she is properly qualified and registered. Sometimes another drug called clonidine (Dixarit) can be prescribed to reduce hot flushes and sweats. A small dose of a progesterone may be a very helpful in controlling this unpleasant side effect but this does increase the risks of blood clots and can increase the risk of weight gain. See coping with weight gain. If you are having very troublesome hot flushes do not hesitate to discuss some of these treatments with your doctor
Feelings of sickness (nausea) and indigestion are fairly common but can often be relieved by taking your tablet(s) with foods or milk or at night. Although mild nausea is quite common initially it usually wears off after a few weeks.
Weight gain can be a side effect of tamoxifen and this is sometimes due to water retention but at other times a consequence of a eating more either due to a increased appetite or mild nausea - "to settle the stomach" . See coping with weight gain.
Women who have not yet reached the menopause may notice their monthly periods change – they may become irregular, lighter or sometimes stop altogether. Some women also notice an increase in vaginal discharge and vulval itching. Less common side effects include depression, tiredness and dizziness. Very rare side effect of tamoxifen include:
Rarely, women who are prescribed tamoxifen for advanced cancer, where there has been spread to the bones, may experience something called ‘tumour flare’ when they start taking tamoxifen. This can cause a raised level of calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia) with symptoms of nausea, vomiting and thirst. Often a short stay in hospital is necessary until the calcium levels have been reduced. Tamoxifen can increase the effect of the drug warfarin, used to thin the blood in people prone to blood clots. If you are taking warfarin let your doctor know straight away. What are the long term side effects of Novaldex? As tamoxifen is a relatively new drug the full long term effects of the drug are still being assessed through patient studies. In recent years there has been publicity about the long term effects of tamoxifen and its possible link with other types of cancer. Tamoxifen studies have shown that women who take high doses of tamoxifen over a long period of time may have a slightly increased risk of developing cancer of the womb (endometrial cancer). This is very rare if the drug is taken for less than 5 years. However, this risk has to be weighted against the benefits of tamoxifen. If detected early, treatment for endometrial cancer is usually very successful. Early warning signs are abnormal vaginal bleeding – although this is often caused by a non-cancerous condition such as a polyp. If taken for longer than 5 years, in some cancer centres women are given regular gynaecological check-ups to detect signs of endometrial cancer. An ultrasound scan, using sound waves, may be done to check for signs of change in the womb lining. A small probe is inserted into the vagina and the doctor can look at the scan on a screen. Any changes can be seen straight away. The scan is safe and only takes a few minutes. Some studies on rats have shown a link between tamoxifen and liver cancer but this has not been proven in humans. There is little doubt that for most women the beneficial effects of tamoxifen far outweigh the risks. Other benefits of Novaldex There is some evidence suggesting that while you are taking tamoxifen it can lower the level of fat or lipids in your blood – and high levels of fat contribute to heart disease. It is also known that tamoxifen may help to prevent bone loss which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis (thinning of the bone) in some women. Alternatives to Novaldex In post menopausal women it may be possible to take an Aromatase inhibitor drug such as Arimidex. In some studies there is a suggestion that these drugs may even be more effective in the metastatic setting and trials are underway in the adjuvant setting. Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey. |
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