Tamoxifen för bröstcancer

About tamoxifen

Treatment options for bröstcancer include surgery, kemoterapi, strålbehandling and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments is used. Tamoxifen is a hormone treatment.

Some breast cancers need the female hormone oestrogen to grow. The cells of these cancers have receptors on their surface that oestrogen can attach to and are called 'hormone receptor-positive' cancers. Tamoxifen works by blocking the receptors and this prevents oestrogen from reaching cancer cells, stopping them from growing.

Before taking tamoxifen

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking tamoxifen it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• If you have unusual or irregular menstrual periods.

• If you have ever had a stroke, a blood clot in your lungs, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

• Om du är gravid eller ammar.

• Om du har porfyri, en sällsynt ärftlig blodsjukdom.

• If you are taking any other medicines. This includes any medicines you are taking which are available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal and complementary medicines. It is also particularly important that you tell your doctor if you are taking a hormonal contraceptive ('the pill' or 'mini-pill') or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

• Om du någonsin har haft en allergisk reaktion mot en medicin.

How to take tamoxifen

• Before starting this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. The leaflet will give you more information about tamoxifen and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take one 20 mg tablet of tamoxifen each day, exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your dose will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

• You may take tamoxifen at whatever time of day you find easiest to remember, but try to take your doses at the same time each day. This will help you avoid missing any doses. You can take tamoxifen before, during or after meals.

• Om du glömmer att ta en dos, ta den så snart du kommer ihåg. Om du inte kommer ihåg förrän nästa dag, hoppa över den missade dosen. Ta inte två doser tillsammans för att kompensera för en glömd dos.

Få ut det mesta av din behandling

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor or clinic. This is so your doctor can check on your progress. You may need to have a blood test from time to time.

• If you are having an operation, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking tamoxifen. This is because you may need to stop taking tamoxifen for a while before the operation.

• You must not get pregnant whilst you are on tamoxifen. Make sure you have discussed with your doctor which types of contraception are suitable for you and your partner, if this is relevant for you.

• Om du köper några läkemedel, kontrollera med en apotekare att de är lämpliga att ta tillsammans med dina andra läkemedel.

Can tamoxifen cause problems?

Förutom sina nyttiga effekter kan de flesta läkemedel orsaka oönskade biverkningar, även om inte alla upplever dem. Dessa förbättras vanligtvis när din kropp anpassar sig till det nya läkemedlet, men tala med din läkare eller apotekare om någon av följande biverkningar fortsätter eller blir besvärliga.

Viktigt: your doctor will have discussed with you the possibility of less common side-effects. You must let your doctor know omedelbart if you develop any of the following:

• Pain or swelling in your lower leg, or any sudden breathlessness. Taking tamoxifen can increase the risk of you developing a blood clot in a leg vein (also known as a DVT), or in your lungs (also known as pulmonary embolism, or PE).

• Any swelling of your face or throat, breathing difficulties, or a severe rash. These may be signs of an allergic-type reaction.

• Irregular or unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge, or pain in your lower tummy (abdomen). Your doctor will want to check to see if there are any changes in the lining of your womb that could cause concern.

Om du upplever några andra symtom som du tror kan bero på denna medicin, diskutera dem med din läkare eller apotekare.

How to store tamoxifen

• Förvara alla läkemedel utom räckhåll och synhåll för barn.

• Förvara på en sval, torr plats, borta från direkt värme och ljus.

Viktig information om alla läkemedel