Tamoxifen is an oral medication classified as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). It was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1977 for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and in 1998 for breast cancer prevention in high-risk women. Tamoxifen works by blocking the effects of estrogen in breast tissue.
Estrogen is known to play a key role in the development and progression of some breast cancers. Tamoxifen works by binding to estrogen receptors in breast tissue. This binding prevents estrogen from occupying the receptors and stimulating the growth of cancer cells. In breast tissue, Tamoxifen blocks the effects of estrogen, acting as an anti-estrogen. However, in other tissues like bone and liver, tamoxifen can act like estrogen, offering some protection against osteoporosis and heart disease.
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