Rev Med Chile 2011; 139: 89-99
Tamoxifeno y antidepresivos:
¿Antagonistas en la prevención
del cáncer de mama?
MARÍA ELISA IRARRAZAVAL O.
Antagonism of tamoxifen and antidepressants
among women with breast cancer
Tamoxifen is used as an adjuvant therapy to reduce breast cancer recurrence
among women with estrogenreceptor positive tumors. Antidepressants are also commonly
used in such women, to treat depression or to manage hot fl ushes, a frequent
tamoxifen secondary effect. Some antidepressants could potentially inhibit cytochrome
P450 2D6, required to activate tamoxifen, interfering with its action. Although
there is not a clear cut directive on the subject, it is nowadays recommended to
treat women with antidepressants with the lower cytochrome P450 2D6 inhibition
potential to avoid a possible antagonism that may reduce tamoxifen’s prevention of
breast cancer recurrence at least in some patients with CYP2D6 genetic variation.
The recommended antidepressants are desvenlafaxine, milnacipran, venlafaxin,
escitalopram and citalopram.
(Rev Med Chile 2011; 139: 89-99).
Key words: Antidepressive agents; Breast neoplasms; Tamoxifen.
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