Can tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) or other hormonal therapies (such as those called aromatase inhibitors) affect my brain even more?
In studies at UCLA and elsewhere, the breast cancer survivors found to be most cognitively impaired were those who had received a combination of chemotherapy plus tamoxifen. , Many breast cancers are promoted by estrogens; tamoxifen works by blocking the uptake of hormones in breast cancer cells that contain estrogen receptors, thereby stopping cancer cell growth. But estrogen is also important to cognitive function, and without it we may experience fuzzy thinking. As for aromatase inhibitors, they prevent the body from creating estrogen in the first place, which explains why they may exacerbate cognitive problems. Q. But this is my life—do I have choice in my treatment if it might affect my cognitive function? One choice lies in knowing that all combination hormonal therapy/chemotherapy regimens may not be as effective as once thought. In 2005 the Lancet (one of the top medical journals in the world) reported an only 3 percent increase in survival for breast cancer patients who receiv
