Tamoxifen and High Risk

[Mel273]

Thank you so much for your opinion.  I am 43 with a strong family history for Breast Cancer.  I have also had several benign lumps removed and a large papilloma this past October.  I recently developed another lump which will be biopsied in about a week.  The subject of Tamoxifen has been brought up on several occasions by my Breast Surgeon and Medical Oncologist.  What is your opinion about this?  I am in the process of gathering family information on the BRAC 1 & 2 to determine whether this may be a factor also.

[Mel273]

Thanks!  Good luck on your MRI's.  I had them done in October.  My Dr. wants me to use MRI's rather than Mamograms since my breasts are very dense.

[Pam`]

I don't beleive I am at risk for the Ovarian Cancer-just strong history with Breast cancer in Mother's side of family - hang in there ! Good luck with the biospy

[Pam`]

I remember reading your post back in October - I too had a fibroadenoma removed which was benign - pathology showed Intraductal Hyperplasia and that's about all it said- I decided to see an Oncologist due to strong family history and she said I was borderline as to whether to take Tamoxifen- she then sent my
slides to her Pathology dept and they determined there was Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia- a whole different ball game- now she feels I should definately start the tamoxifen-also now I feel something small in the other breast so Brest surgeon is sending me for a bi lateral MRI - but she too feels I am a perfect candidate for tamoxifen- I am 46/pre menopause - just a little more info for you regarding tamoxifen - take care and I hope all works out well for you

[Mel273]

Thanks for writing back.  It seems as if we are in  similar situations.  I am also seriously thinking about taking the tamoxifen but want to see what happens with this new biopsy and the BRAC 1 & 2 test results from my father.  Are you also at risk for Ovarian Cancer?  Take care and I hope all works out for both of you.

[Rfrancis]

I too am at High Risk, I'm 36 premenopause. I chose to try the Tamoxifen, my feeling was if it can help me I might as well try it. My oncologist has always said that if the side effects get to be too much that I could always stop. The side effects for me consist of Hot Flashes/Night Sweats, joint stiffness, weight gain (not too much),and there are several other little things that I know was caused by the Tamoxifen. But it's a personal choice. Good Luck!

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear Mel273:  Most of the trials have been done on post-menopausal women who are identified as high risk.  In these cases, there was significant reduction in the incidence of breast cancer.  You may be well served by discussing your situation with a genetic counselor who can determine your risks, specifically, and outline a plan for prevention/surveillance that is tailored to you (considering all pros and cons).