Long-term Tamoxifen use, as widely promoted by oncologists for women following breast cancer, turns out to increase the risk of highly aggressive hormone receptor-negative breast cancer by 440%.  This means that while Tamoxifen reduces the risk for less invasive estrogen positive cancer by 60%, it is at the same time putting many women in extreme peril.

The lead researcher, Christopher Li, M.D., Ph.D., at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center seemed more apologetic than anything in quotes from his press release, almost embarrassed to publish the results for fear of professional backlash.  This position reflects the extreme pressure researchers find themselves in when they publish studies that would cause almost any woman to not take Tamoxifen.

Dr. Li’s fear is testament to the sickness that pervades the medical community’s use of drugs.  His study is unlikely to change any prescribing practices in America, as short-sighted doctors will decide in their own minds that the benefits of Tamoxifen outweigh the risks – even when the data says it doesn’t.  In essence, his data is not welcome.

In 2002, in my book Mastering Leptin, I pointed out the ridiculousness of using Tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention.  At that time it was clear that Tamoxifen increased leptin levels, thus provoking an increase in inflammation that causes increased cancer risk.  Due to this, women on Tamoxifen are likely to gain weight, thus inducing insulin resistance (and IGF1 confusion in breast tissue), which again leads to increased risk for another breast cancer.  Tamoxifen also causes fatty liver congestion, increased risk for endometrial cancer, vaginal bleeding and discharge, major circulatory adverse events, and hot flashes.

Of course, the FDA doesn’t do anything about this because they are inept at making drug companies do the follow up safety testing required by law.  The FDA simply sits around until a catastrophe blows up in its face, and then they move like a tortoise trying to cross the road – hoping to limit liability for the drug company involved.

It is hard to know if the medical profession will ever wake up to the damage they are causing in the name of “help.”  If you are a woman taking Tamoxifen and you have gained weight or you can’t lose weight, you need to find something else to do because the risks likely outweigh the benefits.

To prevent a second cancer you must get insulin, leptin, and IGF1 signals working in harmony.