Tamoxifen is a powerful drug. It reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence; it decreases the chance of a new breast cancer starting; it helps keep bones strong; and it helps keep cholesterol down. Every woman needs to weigh these benefits against the drug's side effects, and make an individual decision about taking tamoxifen.

How breast cancer responds to Tamoxifen depends most on the presence of estrogen receptors. The drug’s effectiveness is not affected much by whether you are pre-menopausal or post-menopausal when your cancer is diagnosed.

Medical oncologists recommend that you take Tamoxifen for five years. But at regular intervals all along the way, you need to re-evaluate the drug's potential side effects and benefits to you. For some women, the benefits do not continue for a full five years.

In this section you’ll learn more about how Tamoxifen works , who it works for , and whether it might be a good treatment choice for YOU.

The medical experts for Tamoxifen are :

• Francene M. Fleegler, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA
  
  
• Jennifer J. Griggs, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
  
  
• Sandra F. Schnall, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist, Thomas Jefferson University Health System, Philadelphia, PA
  
  
• Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., breast radiation oncologist, Thomas Jefferson University Health System, Philadelphia, PA
  
  
• Lisa Weissmann, M.D., medical oncologist, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA