Tamoxifen: molecular basis of use in cancer treatment and prevention

Abstract

Currently there is considerable interest in the uses of tamoxifen not only to treat breast cancer but also to prevent it. Its potential as a major chemopreventative agent has attracted controversy relating to the possible harmful side-effects of tamoxifen therapy but also to its potential to protect against other cancers, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This book explains the molecular basis of the action of tamoxifen, knowledge of which is vital to the understanding of its present uses and future potential, particularly in relation to the development of new derivatives. The book is a fully integrated, extensively referenced account of a wide range of topics relevent to the clinical use of tamoxifen, providing a comprehensive guide for those working in clinical and biomedical research within the pharmaceutical industry and in the fields of biochemistry, pharmacology, nutrition, oncology, toxicology, molecular and cellular biology, pharmacy, and obstetrics and gynaecology. The book’s readable also makes it accessible to medical practitioners and students of medicine and biology.