tomoxafin causing ovarian cancer:

[Cally6336]

I was on a 5 year breast cancer study.  I quialified because of my age and the fact that I had my first child after age 30.  I decided to go on this study as there is cancer in my familay and my grandmother died of breast cancer.  Right now I have stage 111/1V ovarian cancer.  I was diagonosed in June 2006.  I went on 6 treatments of carboplaten and toxal and went into remission in December 2006.  In June of this year a small mass was found as my CA125  was elivated and the CTscam showed the mass.
My quetion is:  My sister-in-law is convinced that the tamoxafin that I was on in the breast cancer study caused my caacer.  There is no way that I can convince her otherwise.  Do you have information that I could tell her.  All my care givers have told me there is no connection.  I believe them, of course. .

[bowdene]

my mum had breast cancer twice and was on temoxefen for five years herself she then came of them and10 years later she eneded up with ovarian but i dont think for one minute that the temoxefen caused the ovarian,as if it dose why give it to ladys who have ovarian beacuse my mum is now taken them again as they have at to stop the chemo because it was servely burning her hands and they went septic.

[Helmar]

Sorry...meant my last post for all. :-)

[Helmar]

Re Tamoxifen.... My Oncol. put me on this 'in between' doing the harsh chemo. It didn't work, but as my scans showed no difference in cancer growth from December last year until now, I feel that Tamoxifen would not have caused your OvCa, as it obviously hasn't affected my cancer. I've also had Femara too.....same outcome. I've always had a strong belief in stress causing cancer, and I know that as I was under intensive stress prior to my dx, I remain of the opinion that this is what caused my cancer. Until someone can prove to me otherwise, I will maintain my thoughts on stress being the problem in causing many cases of cancer. Wishing everyone well....hugs...Helen..

[Tybear]

I highly doubt your cancer was caused by Tamoxifin. My ovarian cancer happens to be estrogen receptive and one of the treatments I am looking into is anti-estrogen treatment (ie:tamoxifin, arimidex, femera etc...) I think people just want to find answers to pin point what "caused" us to get cancer, but I don't think any of us will ever know. Maybe your sister is confused with fertility treatment - over stimulation of the ovaries has been linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. When in doubt, ask your doctor, but I really, truly don't feel Tamoxifin caused your ovarian cancer.
Becky

[dawnsnyder]

I had not heard that about Tamoxifin, but I do know in a local study they had a trial where half of the women were given Evista, and Half Tamoxifin, and that Evista was the one suspected in Ovarian Cancer.  I am not sure, but I do know I was on Evista for several years because of my mom having breast cancer and I still got it (breast cancer) two years ago and five months later diagnosed with Ovarian and have since had a reoccurance of Ovarian...

[freshair]

I don't think the tomaxafen caused your ovarian cancer. Unfortunately I wish it prevented you from getting ovarian. Breast, ovarian and colon are all related in family genetics. I don't have the information to supply you with for your sister. If it was my sister I would tell her "not to discuss this with you anymore".  Right now you need to control your stress levels which are very important. We all have tried to figure out why we got this.  I would say to put your energy into healing yourself and keeping your energy levels up. Chemo is a trying time. Exercise has been proven to fight fatigue also. Walking is very good while staying busy.

P.S. Most all of us on this forum never took tamoxafin before we were diagnosed with cancer. I would say 99% of us.

Good luck with your testing. Keep us posted. My two sisters and now my mother have breast cancer. And my maternal grandmother had it. I am going to ask about being tested again.

[Cally6336]

My oncologist is reccommending that I do go through genetic testing.  She will be conseling  me sometime in the next 2 months.  Yes, I should have gone through it years ago.  I jjust want to know now your reaction to tamoxafin causing ovarian cancer.  I know that there are many ovarian patients taking it now to suppress their cancers,  So how  could it cause it?  And if it were all that dangerous they would take it off the market, right?  By the way I am 71 years old.

[nyc lady]

I am very confused.....you took tamoxifin as a preventative for Breast Cancer for 5 years....and you qualified because of age and having a child later in life?  When you say family history, did they do any genetic testing?  BRCA gene testing?  If you tested positive for BRCA I and II, then you have an increased risk of being diagnosised with OvCa, approximately a 40 percent chance, many women that do test positive have both will have profolactic surgery and remove their ovaries and breasts.

There are many studies that show there are some Ov Cancers that are estrogen receptive as are breast cancers and thus some women remain "stable" on chemos such as femara.