Does Tamoxifen Cause Liver Cancer (Page 1)

Hi!
It is not known Tamoxifen to cause liver cancer in humans. Sometimes it can cause other liver toxicities in patients, which can be severe or life threatening. Blood tests are usually performed from time to time to check liver function.
I'm sure your sister in low will find Tamoxifen beneficial. There are clinical evidences, about tamoxifen used as adjuvant therapy for early stage breast cancer, that showed reduced risk of recurrence of the original cancer and also reduced risk of developing new cancers in the other breast.
Best wishes!

My mother was taking Tamoxifen for 5 years after having breast cancer. She was just diagnosed with primary liver cancer. It was not metastatic cancer. I believe the tamoxifen caused her liver cancer. She had no previous liver damage. She did drink alchohol but not heavily. I would be careful while on Tamoxifen and make sure to have tests done to monitor how this drug is affecting your body. Another women I know who took Tamoxifen also for 5 years, had to have a hysterectomy due to suspicious changes in her uterus. I think there needs to be more research on this drug.

My mother took part in a tamoxifen trial in the UK. She had had a very early stages lump removed from one breast with an excellent prognosis as it was such early stages.

Anyway, she agreed to take part in a 5 year tamoxifen trial. In the following year after the end of the trial she was diagnosed with cancer. She had multiple liver metastases. They did a liver biopsy but were not able to make a diagnosis of the primary source. She died within 3 months of diagnosis of this incredibly aggressive cancer. Also, while she was on tamoxifen she had to have a hysterectomy (very common as it affects the lining of the womb. Also had cataracts, I think this is common on this drug too.

She was incredibly fit and health with no cancer in her side of the family. Don't risk it. My mother would have been better off not taking tamoxifen. Even if the breast cancer had come back, she would have had a much better prognosis as it's more treatable.

Do not take tamoxifen.....EVER!!!!! My mother took it for 5 years as well and the longer you take it, the more severe the problems. She was diagnosed with a rare uterine cancer that almost took her life. She had a full hysterectomy and has a 40% chance of it coming back in her liver, brain, etc. She also has developed cataracts and just been given the news that she has thryroid cancer. The doctors told her all of this was a direct link to tamoxifen. Please, please, wahtever you do, stay away from this drug.

I have been taking tamoxifen since July, I am so scared to take it and to not take it, I just stopped taking it for 2 days so I can take a major exam at the end of the week. I feel so much better, my liver feels achy I have never had pain there before. I don't want to seem like a hypochondriac now after being an 8 month cancer survivor.

Has anyone experienced a large abdomen from taking tamoxifen? When I back off from it for a couple of days my abdomen goes flat. My liver aches from time to time. I have been taking this for 13 months and I cannot take arimidex. I was having excruciating bone pain and muscle spasms. My mom took tamoxifen for 5 years and she made it through okay but it is really scary. I had a high grade tumor which was low estrogen receptor positive but the doc says I still need to take it.

Feb 2006, I had a stage 1 breast cancer. I had 2 tumors at my right breast. I had mastectomy and radiation therapy. taking or not tamixofen was not an easy decision. There was the doctors pressure, the family worries and worst of all my own conscience.I battled with my "internal fears" for months. Was I making the right choice? After all the doctors are the "experts". I have 2 boys (4 and . I had the responsibility to stay alive. Then I decided that with tamoxifen the only guarantee I had was a 5 years survival. I was healthy, happy and full of determination. I decided that I wanted to live to see my boys as men and my grand children. I decided that tamixofen was not an option as it was only offering a miserable 5 years with loads of risks, treatments inconvinience. I realised that whatever my decision I will always asking myself if it was the right decision. Then I decided to move beyong my fears and to give myy body a chance to repare itself. We are now 3 years later. I feel healthier than I have ever been. I'm more fit than I have ever been (Gym on a daily basis). I eat healthy diet, with loads of fruits and vegetables. I'm looking for internal peace and I'm looking forward to the next 20 years eagerly.
It doesn't matter how long I will live. But I'm now leaving the most beautifull years of my life.

Love.

my wife was dx breast cancer in 1998, had to have a mastectomy but didn't need chemo or radio and took tamoxifen and even went on the trials for it. that finished a while back and these last few months she has been having considerable pain in her hips/knees. her gp decided to do blood a analysis and she has been told she has borderline changes in her liver for which they want to retest in 3 months....she doesn't drink alcohol so is it the tamoxifen?she' 54 and soon to be a grandma.

My mom is dying right in front of me and my sisters and I think it was the tamoxifen. She took it for 5 years and had been off of it for a year. Earlier this year she suddenly developed ascites and was told she had cirrhosis. My mom has never been a drinker and does not have hepatitis. The only 2 things she ever took long term were hormones after menopause which her surgeon said likley caused her breast cancer and then the tamoxifen to prevent cancer. Well after months of seeing her decline, countless doctors and finally an MRI and ct, 2 weeks ago we were told she has cancer in her lungs, lymph nodes and brain. So not only did the tamoxifen not prevent cancer, my sisters and I are convinced it destroyed her liver and caused the cancer. Doctors are baffled at what could have happened to my mom, they say they can't figure out what happened. As far as I'm concerned, the tamoxifen happened.

Update on my earlier post. My mother passed away and the official cause of death was liver cancer. My sisters and I are convinced it was the tamoxifen.

NO TAMOXIFEN!!!!

My mom had the smallest tumor you could possibly detect which was breast cancer and all of her surrounding lymph nodes were fine.. 5 years on tamoxifen and 5 years later she had cancer in her liver and lungs and ied a year later... she was healthy her entire life... please don NOT take this deadly drug!!

How long does Tamoxifen stay in your system. I was on it for short period of time an had to get off due to side effects. Dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue and having a fuzzy brain were just some of my symptoms. I've been off the drug for almost 2 weeks and still am having these syptoms. The Dr. told me that it could take 2-3 weeks to get out of my system but I have seen some postings that say that it could be 6-8 weeks.

Thanks for all the posts, I have been taking Tamoxifen for one year, just renewed the priscription, my case is provention, I don''t have cancer, but the doctor suggested me taking it.
Now one year later, my annually exam on blood test ,liver test is not right. I was thinking what is the cause, now I am sure it is the Tamoxifen. I will stop taking it.
I did not have any other health problem one year ago except I was diagnosed as atypical ductal hyperplasia(not breast cancer but could cause the future cancer), after one year''s taking tamoxifen, things are changing. The blood test shows liver test is high. I am goint to have urtralsound to test on liver this week to see what kind of damage has been made.

My mother had breast cancer and had a mastectomy in 1992. She took tamoxifen for 5 years, after that she developed cirrhosis. She is still alive today and fighting the cirrhosis. She will be 80. She never drank and there is no history of liver disease in our family. Her liver is now 4 times its normal size and so is her spleen. Her spleen has destroyed her platlets and her count is 20,000 instead of 400,000. I thank God she is alive but for the past 14 years she has suffered from the tamoxifen.

I aggree you post in June2010,Mystectomy done 2009 Chemo.Radiation on Tamoxifen for 7 mont`s went for my liver sona today Enlarged liver lot of burning pain over the chest, and hip to buttock pain i blame Tamoxifen symtoms for 4 weeks now.

I am due to begin Tamoxifen in 2 weeks and have decided this drug is not for me. After researching this drug it does not sound like anything I want to take after going through chemo and radiation. After the torture of those treatments I am not accepting anymore torture. I will pray to God to protect me "without tamoxifen"

Breast cancer

i just started taking tamoxifen November 24th 2010
can eat very nauseous have loss weight and now had a physical and my liver test is abnormal. i am seriously thinking of stoping this medicine and after reading all the other post. gives me something to think about

thank you

Tamoxifen -- I lasted two months -- first I had dry eyes and had a hard time with contacts -- I felt good on Tamoxifen but then I had my blood tests....my triglycerides had gone from 140 to 277 and my blood pressure was up to 155/86 from 110/66 with meds.

My oncolgist took me off Tamoxifen. I feel nervous -- do I take it or not. I had stage 1 breast, 0 lymph nodes, estrogen/progest positive, and a 16 on the DX Oncogene test. I read on line that Arimidex, Famora and Aromisen aLL cause high blood pressure.

Question-- how do you interpret 16 on the DX Ocogne test when you ca't take tamoxifen?