What type of therapy is tamoxifen used for in breast cancer treatment?

Tamoxifen is classified as a hormonal therapy used in the treatment of breast cancer, particularly in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast tumors. It works by blocking estrogen receptors on cancer cells, which inhibits the growth and spread of breast cancer that relies on estrogen to thrive.

In hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, estrogen can stimulate the proliferation of cancer cells, so by using tamoxifen, the goal is to prevent estrogen from having its stimulating effects on these cells. This approach helps in reducing the risk of recurrence and may also be used as an adjuvant therapy following surgery to prevent cancer from returning.

This type of therapy is distinct from chemotherapy, which uses cytotoxic agents to kill rapidly dividing cells, including both cancerous and some healthy cells. Targeted therapy focuses on specific molecules involved in cancer growth and may not involve hormonal pathways. Immunotherapy seeks to enhance the body's immune response against cancer, differing fundamentally from the mechanism of action of tamoxifen. Thus, the classification of tamoxifen as hormonal therapy is well-established in breast cancer treatment protocols.