Tag Archives: Tamoxifen

Metastatic Breast Cancer

What Are The First Signs Of Metastatic Breast Cancer?

Disease, health and medicine, Information, ,

Metastatic Breast Cancer is known as stage IV which has spread to another part of the body, most commonly to the bones, lungs, brain, or liver. Breast cancer can have different signs for different people. Most don’t notice any signs at all. The most common sign is a lump in your breast or armpit. Others include skin changes, pain, a nipple that pulls inward, and unusual discharge from your nipple.

What Are the Early Signs of Metastatic Breast Cancer?

migraine with aura

Without treatment, breast cancer can spread to other parts of your body. You may have:

  • Bone pain
  • Double vision
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss
  • Headache
  • Changes in brain function
  • Trouble breathing
  • Belly swelling
  • Muscle weakness 
  • Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)

What Causes Metastatic Breast Cancer?

A cancerous cell can invade nearby lymph nodes or blood vessels. The cancer cells then travel through lymph vessels or blood vessels throughout the body. Fluids and blood flow through these vessels. Small tumors can form when cancer cells migrate to new locations.

Who Is At Risk For Metastatic Breast Cancer?

Some people are at higher risk for metastatic breast cancer after finishing certain cancer treatments. The risk depends on various features of cancer including:

  • The stage at your first diagnosis
  • Tumor characteristics (type of cancer cells)
  • Treatment received
Blood tests

Diagnosis for Metastatic Breast Cancer

If you have a history of breast cancer and develop any signs of metastatic breast cancer, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests to see if cancer has returned:

  • Blood tests 
  • Whole-body bone scan, with or without x-rays of specific bones
  • MRI of the spine or brain
  • CT scan of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, or brain
  • PET scan
  • X-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen or chest
  • Biopsy of any suspicious area
  • Bronchoscopy, if you have a constant cough or trouble breathing
  • A tap, removal of fluid from the area with symptoms to check for cancer cells

Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

The main treatment for metastatic breast cancer is a systemic therapy. This treatment cures the entire body. Systemic therapy may be linked with a combination of:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Hormonal therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Targeted therapy

Your health care team will plan your treatment based on:

  • Past breast cancer treatments
  • Symptoms
  • Body parts cancer has reached
  • Tumor biology, or how the cancer cells look and behave

Medication can be used for Metastatic Breast Cancer:

This medicine is a hormone-based drug that works by binding to estrogen receptors and blocking the effects of estrogen, a natural female hormone in the breast tissue. This slows down the growth and multiplication of breast cancer cells. As a result, it slows the progression of metastatic breast cancer. 

Buy Tamoxifen

Medication for Women with Breast Cancer

health and medicine, ,

Tamoxifen is a prescription medication used for women with breast cancer.  

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of this medicine in 1998. Tamoxifen has become one of the most widely used medication for breast cancer.  

What condition does Tamoxifen treat? 

Tamoxifen can help men and women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. This drug can lower the risk of breast cancer in: 

How does Tamoxifen work? 

Tamoxifen is a type of hormonal therapy known as a selective estrogen receptor modulator. The medicine ascribes to hormone receptors in breast cancer cells. As soon as the medication is inside the cells, it stops cancer from retrieving the hormones they want to grow. 

There are a lot of people who used Tamoxifen to prevent or treat breast cancer. Tamoxifen may lower the risk of:  

  • Initial breast cancer diagnosis by up to 40% 
  • Breast cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women by 40% to 50% 
  • Breast cancer reappearance in premenopausal women by 30% to 50% 
  • Breast cancer in the opposite breast by 50 
  • Aggressive breast cancer after the diagnosis of early-stage, non-invasive breast cancer by up to 50% 

Tamoxifen gives other health benefits that are not related to the treatment of cancer. Tamoxifen is a SERM that selectively either activates or blocks estrogen’s action on exact cells. While Tamoxifen blocks estrogen’s action on breast cells, it starts estrogen’s bone and liver cells’ movement. So Tamoxifen can help stop bone loss after menopause and lower cholesterol levels. With its benefits, it is very worth it for the price of Tamoxifen.  

What is the dosage of Tamoxifen? 

  • Tamoxifen is to be taken by mouth, usually once or twice a day. 
  • Each dose of Tamoxifen is either taken with or without food.  
  • For best result, take Tamoxifen at around the same time each day.  
  • If you are having this as your treatment to prevent breast cancer, you will probably take it for five years. 
  • Your doctor will pick how long your treatment will last if you take Tamoxifen to treat breast cancer.  
  • Do not stop taking this medication without talking to your doctor.  

What are the precautions using Tamoxifen? 

  • Rarely, Tamoxifen might cause serious problems such as strokes or eye problems.  
  • This medicine may also cause congenital disabilities. You must not take Tamoxifen if you are planning to become pregnant or if you are currently pregnant.  
  • Call your doctor or healthcare provider right away if you experience fever, signs of a stroke, swelling, uncontrolled vomiting, and shortness of breath.  
  • Before taking, Tamoxifen let your pharmacist know that you are allergic to the drug or any allergies.  
  • This medication might increase the threat that you will progress to other cancers. Discuss with your doctor about this risk.  
  • It is still needed to look for early signs of breast cancer since it is possible to develop breast cancer even during treatment.  

Cost of Generic Tamoxifen vs. Nolvadex  

The generic Tamoxifen only costs $30 per 90 tabs and $0.37 per pill. A first choice drug for premenopausal women and is still the right choice for postmenopausal women who can’t take an aromatase inhibitor. The generic Tamoxifen is immensely cheaper than Nolvadex. Nolvadex is the brand name and is an immensely more expensive one that costs $83.09 per 90 tabs and $0.92 per pill.

Buy Tamoxifen

Medication FDA to Treat Breast Cancer in Men and Women

health and medicine,

Breast cancer it develops from symptoms cells of the breast. Symptoms show lump in the breast, a rash, and discharge from the nipple with pain in the breast area. Sometimes there may be a change in the size of the breast, skin texture or even change in the color. It is seen in both men & women. But it is more common in women than in men, about 1 in 1000 for men.

Tamoxifen is the oldest and most prescribed SERM(selective estrogen receptor modulators). It received approval from U.S. FDA to treat Breast cancer in men and women.

How do Tamoxifen works?

Tamoxifen belongs to the class of medication called as SERMs. It shows antiestrogenic effects. It is a hormone therapy.

The drugs block the female hormone estrogen in the body. The Breast cancer cells are thought to be sensitive to estrogen. These cells need estrogen to grow and spread. Tamoxifen doesn’t allow estrogen to attach to the cancer cells. As no estrogen, the cancer cell stop growing and spreading to other remote parts of the body. The above drug also blocks estrogen from acting on cells that are not cancerous.

How to take Tamoxifen?

Tamoxifen is available in the form of a tablet of 10 mg.

  • Adult Dosage

Usual Dosage- 20-40 mg one time in a day or in 2 divided doses.

Maintenance dose- 20 mg one time in a day for 5 years.

  • Children Dosage

20 mg one time in a day for 12 months. Use and dose may be determined by your doctor.

The dose may be different for different patients. The type of medical problems for which you are using the medicine decides.

I.      The number of doses you take each day.

II.     The time allowed between doses.

III.    The length of time you take the medicine.

What are the uses of Tamoxifen?

  1. Tamoxifen is used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the men or women body.
  2. Treats breast cancer in some patients after surgery and radiation therapy.

III.    Reduces chances of breast cancer in high- risk patients.

  1. It can block the growth of breast cancer.
  2. Treats breast cancer in post-menopausal women after surgery and radiation.
  3. An Operation is not feasible for older women. For them, it can be treated with Tamoxifen alone.

VII.     In some infertile men & women, Tamoxifen may produce pregnancy respectively fertility.

VIII.    It may be used for other reasons not listed in the medication guide.

What are the precautions in taking Tamoxifen?

  • Certain conditions are needed to be considered while using Tamoxifen. Inform or ask your doctor if you have/are.
  • Allergic to the above drug.
  • Any other allergies.
  • Pregnant / Breastfeeding.
  • History of blood clots.
  • Conditions that require treatment with a blood thinner.
  • History of breast cancer.
  • High cholesterol.
  • High triglycerides.
  • Diabetes.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Smoking.
  • Liver disease.
  • Dental or any other surgery.
  • Inform your doctor about all other medicines you take to avoid drug interactions.

Cost of Tamoxifen (Generic & Brand)

Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs. They have same dosage, intended use, effects and other parameters. The difference is the price. Generic drugs are cheaper than the brand ones. Generic medicine does not include the cost of research and development. The invention of drug that requires hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cost of generic Tamoxifen.

Pack of 60 tablets of 10 mg costs $ 22, per unit cost is $ 0.37.

Cost of brand Nolvadex.

Pack of 60 tablets of 10 mg costs $ 51.98, per unit cost is $ 0.86.