How does Tamoxifen work?

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Tamoxifen breast cancer works by inhibiting estrogen receptors. It prevents estrogen from causing cancer cells to develop. Tamoxifen suppresses the effects of estrogen, hence the goal is to prevent breast cancer from growing. Tamoxifen is a medicine that is commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer, both to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer in high-risk persons and to treat existing breast cancer. It belongs to the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) class of medicines. Tamoxifen works mainly by inhibiting the action of estrogen in breast tissue. Estrogen is a hormone that stimulates the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells by attaching to estrogen receptors on their surfaces. Tamoxifen blocks these receptors, preventing estrogen from binding and stimulating breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen's impact, however, goes beyond simply inhibiting estrogen receptors. In some tissues, it functions as an estrogen agonist, which means it mimics estrogen's activities. Tamoxifen's dual effect makes it very useful in treating estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer in which estrogen encourages tumor growth. Tamoxifen may function in a variety of ways, including suppressing cell proliferation, triggering cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells, and influencing the immune system's response to cancer.
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