Tamoxifen (brand name, Nolvadex) has been the most commonly prescribed drug to treat breast cancer, since the approval of the drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1970s. Tamoxifen is taken orally in pill form.
Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogen drug that works by binding to estrogen receptors on estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells, thereby blocking their ability to absorb estrogen. Without a supply of estrogen to stimulate their growth, the breast cancer cells “starve” and die.
In 1998, Tamoxifen became the first drug to be approved by the FDA to prevent breast cancer. Tamoxifen was approved for use in prevention, after research showed that the drug reduced the chances of developing breast cancer by 50% in women at high risk for the disease.
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