Antiestrogens in tumor therapy

In the last decade a major advance in the treatment of breast cancer has been achieved with the introduction of antioestrogen therapy. The rationale behind this modality of treatment is to inhibit the peripheral action of oestrogens regardless of their circulating blood levels. This theoretically represents an advantage over endocrine ablative procedures which do not completely eliminate circulating oestrogens. It is the purpose of this paper to review the clinical use of the antioestrogen tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) in the management of advanced as well as early breast cancer. A summary will also be given on the use of tamoxifen in other malignancies.