Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Lewis Thomson on 09/01/2018 16:12:01
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Sarah asks:
Tamoxifen binds to receptors on ER+ breast cancer cells and acts as an antagonist, preventing oestrogen from acting on the cells and helping them grow. My question is: how does this affect normal, healthy cells? Would it bind to these cells and prevent them from responding to oestrogen - and could this cause menopausal-like symptoms? Or is there something that makes the oestrogen receptors on cancer cells different to those on normal cells?
Any thoughts?