On 9 February, research published in the British Medical Journal examined the impact of a particular class of anti-depressants on the effectiveness of tamoxifen, prompting media coverage on the issue.
The researchers investigated whether the class of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin re-update inhibitors (SSRIs) interfere with the breast cancer treatment tamoxifen.
The population-based cohort study found that a certain SSRI, paroxetine, used at the same time as tamoxifen, impairs the effectiveness of tamoxifen.
NBOCC comment
It has been known for some time that some SSRI anti-depressants, such as paroxetine, may interfere with the effectiveness of tamoxifen. This paper builds on ongoing research in this area.There are a number of commonly used SSRI anti-depressants which do not appear to impact on the effectiveness of tamoxifen.
Tamoxifen has been widely used for 25 years in the treatment of oestrogen-receptor positive (ER-positive) tumours. Approximately, 60 per cent of breast tumours diagnosed are ER-positive. Tamoxifen has been shown to halve the risk of breast cancer recurrence and significantly improve survival.
Women undergoing breast cancer treatment with tamoxifen, who are also taking the SSRI anti-depressant paroxetine, may wish to discuss this with their doctor.
