Some Antidepressants May Thwart Tamoxifen's Effect on Breast Cancer
Women taking both drugs had a 13.9 percent chance of their breast cancer returning over two years, vs. just 7.5 percent of those receiving tamoxifen alone; that translates into an almost twofold increase in risk.
The second study, conducted by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, collected information on almost 2,000 breast cancer patients using tamoxifen, 215 of whom had used an SSRI/2D6 inhibitor at some point during their tamoxifen treatment.
That study found no increased risk of a breast recurrence in women taking both drugs. However, the authors pointed out, the number of women taking both drugs was small -- good enough reason for women and doctors to search for other options to combat hot flashes.
The Medco findings should serve as a warning but not a confirmation of any real danger to patients, one expert said.
"It's a study that is very difficult to interpret because it's really not complete enough information," said Dr. Claudine Isaacs, director of the clinical breast cancer program at Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C. "It raises a concern about this, and there's a scientific rationale to be concerned about.
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