Study: Tamoxifen Does Not Appear to Fuel Depression

Tamoxifen does not appear to cause depression or worsen depressive episodes in women taking the drug to help prevent breast cancer, according toa nationwide study.

Because hormone replacement therapy has a positive effect on one's mood, researchers speculated that tamoxifen might have a depressive action because of its anti-estrogen activity, according to the study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers at the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) in Pittsburgh analyzed data from women participating in the study and found no difference in the rates of depression between women taking tamoxifen and those taking a placebo, regardless of their baseline risk of depression.

"Physicians need not be overly concerned that treatment with tamoxifen will increase the risk for or exacerbate existing depression in women," wrote the researchers. "Nevertheless, physicians should continue to screen for and treat or refer potential cases of depression encountered in routine clinical practice."

Other Sources: Journal of the National Cancer Institute