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Hormone Therapy in Breast and Prostate Cancer pp 69–81Cite as

Mechanisms of Liver Carcinogenesis by Antiestrogens

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Part of the book series: Cancer Drug Discovery and Development ((CDD&D))

Abstract

Tamoxifen (Fig. 1) is a human and animal carcinogen (1); it causes endometrial cancer in women and is potent inducer of liver tumors in rats. The structurally related antiestrogen toremifene does not induce liver tumors in rats (2) but it has not been in clinical use for sufficiently long for its carcinogenic effects in humans to be assessed. In order to assess fully the long-term risks of tamoxifen therapy or prophylaxis, and of the safety of toremifene and other analogues (such as droloxifene and idoxifene) that are coming into clinical use, it is important to understand its mechanism of tumor induction and to what extent extrapolations between species can be made. A starting point for such assessments is the investigation, commenced relatively recently, of the carcinogenicity of tamoxifen in rat liver.

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  1. Institute of Cancer Research, Haddow Laboratories, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    David H. Phillips

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  1. Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Rd. NW Research Bldg. E501, Washington, DC, 20057, USA

    V. Craig Jordan

  2. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Zeneca Pharmaceutical, Alderly Park, Alderly House, Macclesfield, SK 10 4TF, UK

    Barrington J.A. Furr

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© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Phillips, D.H. (2009). Mechanisms of Liver Carcinogenesis by Antiestrogens. In: Jordan, V.C., Furr, B.J. (eds) Hormone Therapy in Breast and Prostate Cancer. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-152-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-152-7_4

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-471-5

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