Talk:Tamoxifen

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[edit] Olof H. Pearson

Olof H.Pearson MD, an endocrinologist and oncologist, did the first research into the use of antiestrogens to treat breast cancer and was the first physician to use steroid hormones to treat lymphomas. He discovered that the hormone prolactin stimulated breast cancer growth and showed that removing the pituitary, the source of the hormone, could lengthen patients' lives. He later helped develop drugs that blocked the hormone without the need for surgery. Today, the antiestrogen tamoxifen routinely is used to treat breast cancer and prevent recurrences after surgery or radiation.

He initially experimented with using cortisone and other adrenal corticosteroid hormones to treat lymphoma and leukemia in the 1940s.

A native of Boston, Pearson earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School in 1939. He served as flight surgeon and medical director for Pan American World Airways in North America during World War II. He taught at the Harvard and Cornell medical schools and worked at the Sloan-Kettering Institute before joining the faculty of the CWRU School of Medicine and the staff of University Hospitals of Cleveland in 1960. He retired in 1988 and passed away in 1990. 68.51.226.87 (talk · contribs)

Perhaps this should go on Olof Pearson. Is this your own work or copied from elsewhere? JFW | T@lk 12:39, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Identified in early 1960s

Note that tamoxifen was identified in the early 1960s as an antiestrogen. The team thought that by inhibiting oestrogen in the uterus, tamoxifen might block pregnancy and act as a "morning after pill". However, later studies showed that instead of preventing pregnancy, it enhanced the chances of pregnancy in subfertile women.

[edit] Side Effects

I haven't got time at the moment as I'm revising for my finals, but this article ought to mention the side effects of Tamoxifen. My oncology lecturer mentioned that whilst the incidence of breast cancer is reduced, other cancers increase in frequency and that overall mortality of breast cancer patients is not significantly improved when using the drug. I haven't had chance to read any related journal articles in detail, but once I have time I will have look. --Shastrix 14:03, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

Excellent idea, now that Raloxifene has been shown to be just as effective, but has fewer side effects. Brian Sayrs 00:48, 18 April 2006 (UTC)
I added some clarification about the tradeoff issue (less risk of breast cancer, more risk of uterine cancer) which you could add on to if you find the citation about the average net risk reduction not being statistically significant.Youngea (talk) 06:32, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

The bit about how a tamoxifen user's significant other isn't told that their partner will enter early menopause seems a bit odd. I don't know how I'd go about changing it; does someone wanna take a look at it? --Younmm23 13:08, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

  • I also found this newly added text odd. In addition, this statement is not backed up by a citation. I have attempted to find clinical trials that report the prevalence of libido reduction in pre-menopausal women but have been unsuccessful. Approximately 1/3 of post-menopausal women report reduction in libido,[1] so it would not be too surprising if pre-menopausal women also experienced reduction in libido, but again, I cannot find hard data to support this. All I can do at this point is to add a "citation needed" template. Boghog2 16:42, 2 September 2007 (UTC)
  1. ^ Cella D, Fallowfield L, Barker P, Cuzick J, Locker G, Howell A (2006). "Quality of life of post-menopausal women in the ATAC ("Arimidex", tamoxifen, alone or in combination) trial after completion of 5 years' adjuvant treatment for early breast cancer". Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 100 (3): 273-84. doi:10.1007/s10549-006-9260-6. PMID 16944295. 
  • I didn't mean that it was weird it causes early menopause; the part about the mentioning to the spouse was bizarre. Listing that as a side effect (i.e. spouses not finding out about something). Not finding out something about your spouse is a communication issue, NOT a side effect of a drug. --143.200.225.126 05:11, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
  • Please note that I used the phrase "in addition" to describe my concern that there was no citation. I totally agree that mentioning the spouse was bizarre. Boghog2 06:58, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
  • Oops, sorry, guess thats what I get for wikipedia-ing on 4 hours of sleep.--Younmm23 12:01, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
  • No problem. Cheers. Boghog2 14:47, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Question

Is there a proposed mechanism of action for tamoxifen as there is for Gleevec or other targeted therapies?

  • Great question that points to a weakness in this article. Tamoxifen's mechanism of action in breast cancer is as a estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (especially through the ER-alpha isoform). In addition, breast cancers may become resistant to tamoxifen through mutations of the ER which convert tamoxifen from an antagonist into an agonist. Finally tamoxifen also binds to GPR30 and interestingly functions, like estradiol, as an agonist through this receptor. This significance of agonism through GPR30 is not clear but it may result in pro-proliferative effects that may partially counter act the antagonist effects through ER-alpha. I will add a expand the mechanism of action section when I get a chance. Boghog2 21:37, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ormeloxifene main article needs editors

I've tried posting in Wikiproject:Clinical medicine, and have found few who know anything about ormeloxifene. Especially needed are chemists, scientists, and doctors who are knowledgable about this SERM. Thank you! -- Joie de Vivre 14:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Estrogen = Oestrogen?

Are these the same? Using a consistent spelling would make the article clearer. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.190.123.114 (talk) 21:02, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

  • Yes, Estrogen (American spelling) = Oestrogen (British spelling). For consistency, I have replace all occurences of "Oestrogen" with "Estrogen". Boghog2 21:43, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Other uses of Tamoxifen

What about a short note regarding the other uses of Tamoxifen, such as in genetics experiments - ie tamoxifen-inducible Cre mediated recombination?

  • Now included. Boghog2 21:47, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Transgender men

Is tamoxifen used in treatment of FTM transsexuals? I've seen it referenced on several transgender health sites, and it seems like the sort of thing that might be useful to mention in the article, but I'm not very educated endocrinology-wise and didn't want to put it in myself. Switchercat talkcont 17:14, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

If you provide references to the sites where it is mentioned, I'm sure other editors can help determine whether the information is suitable to add based on its source and its quality.Youngea (talk) 06:34, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Figure

The figure of the Tamoxifen molecular structure is way too big but I do not know how to decrease the size of it. Anybody does? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bteunissen (talk • contribs) 15:25, 26 March 2008 (UTC)