What are the Side Effects of Tamoxifen?

— -- Question:What are the side effects of tamoxifen?

Answer: The most common side effect of tamoxifen is the development of menopausal-type symptoms, including hot flashes. These hot flashes can vary in intensity and duration from woman to woman. Serious or life-threatening side effects are rare, or at least uncommon. Taking tamoxifen for five years can increase the risk of cancers of the uterus or womb by about 1 percent. Tamoxifen can also increase the risk of blood clots in the major veins in the body, and if these travel and go to the lungs, that can be a life-threatening problem. There's also a small increased risk of stroke.

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