Is tamoxifen a good substitute for hormone replacement therapy?
No. Every woman has individual health risks that affect her need for interventions such as hormone replacement therapy or tamoxifen therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is intended to help women maintain bone density. It may also reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women, and many women benefit from a reduction in hot flashes and other problems that can affect quality of life. Some studies have suggested that hormone replacement therapy increases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. The BCPT results show that tamoxifen reduces breast cancer risk and may help slow or reduce bone loss, as evidenced by the reduced number of bone fractures, but it did not decrease heart disease risk. A woman with a large risk of heart disease may not have the same benefit from tamoxifen as from hormone replacement therapy. 32. Should women who are not at a demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer consider taking tamoxifen? This question has not been studied. At this time, there
