Skip to content

Safe to conceive on tamoxifen?

Page last modified on: October 13, 2008
Question from ISingh: I'm taking tamoxifen but I intend to try to get pregnant while I'm still premenopausal. Is tamoxifen safe while trying to conceive?
Answers —Patricia Ganz, M.D.: Absolutely not. Tamoxifen should be used with some sort of barrier contraception, like an IUD or diaphragm or condoms. If you get pregnant while you are on tamoxifen, the tamoxifen could damage the fetus and termination of pregnancy would be recommended as a result. Also, tamoxifen causes hyperovulation, which means you are at increased risk of getting pregnant while on tamoxifen, so you should use some form of contraception. However, when you stop your treatment, the tamoxifen will be out of your system and it will be safe to have a child then.
Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S.: We usually recommend even if the women isn't menstruating that she still use some form of contraception.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about tamoxifen and pregnancy.

On Wednesday, August 15, 2007, the Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Ongoing Medications. Patricia Ganz, M.D. and moderator Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. answered your questions about staying on track with breast cancer medications you have to take on a regular basis.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

wellness_dvd_promo

Email Updates

Stay informed about current research, online events, and more.

Please leave this field empty

Meet the Experts

Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.Patricia A. Ganz, M.D. is a medical oncologist and a professor in the schools of medicine and public health at UCLA, and is director of the division of cancer prevention and control research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center there.

Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., M.A.S.Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. is the administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.

Back to top

Breastcancer.org 7 East Lancaster Avenue, 3rd Floor Ardmore, PA 19003

Learn more about our commitment to your privacy

© 2009 Breastcancer.org - All rights reserved.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.