Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator used mainly to treat and prevent estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. It blocks estrogen signaling in breast tissue while acting like estrogen in some other tissues.

Estrogen receptor: A protein that binds estrogen and regulates gene activity in responsive cells. Tamoxifen binds these receptors and changes their activity in breast tissue.
Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: Breast cancer whose cells express estrogen receptors and may grow in response to estrogen. This is the principal cancer type treated with tamoxifen.
Endometrial cancer: Cancer arising from the lining of the uterus, also called the endometrium. Tamoxifen's estrogen-like action in the uterus increases this cancer risk.
Dora Richardson: A British chemist who synthesized the compound later known as tamoxifen. Her laboratory work produced the molecule that became tamoxifen.
CYP2D6 polymorphism: Inherited variation in the CYP2D6 gene that changes the enzyme's activity between individuals. These variants may alter formation of tamoxifen's active metabolite endoxifen.
Selective estrogen receptor modulator: A drug that acts as an estrogen receptor agonist in some tissues and antagonist in others. Tamoxifen is the defining example of this tissue-selective drug class.
Adjuvant therapy: Treatment given after primary cancer treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence. Tamoxifen is commonly prescribed after surgery for hormone-sensitive breast cancer.
Venous thromboembolism: Formation of a blood clot in a vein, including deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Tamoxifen raises the risk of these potentially serious clots.
Arthur Walpole: A British pharmacologist who led early research on tamoxifen and its hormonal effects. He helped redirect development after the drug failed as a contraceptive.
Pharmacogenomics: The study of how genetic variation affects responses to drugs. It frames ongoing debate about using CYP2D6 results to guide tamoxifen treatment.

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