A 45-year-old patient with a family history of breast cancer is considering using tamoxifen [Nolvadex] for cancer prevention. The nurse performs a health history and learns that the woman had a child when she was 35 years old, that she has not had a hysterectomy, and that she experienced DVT when she was pregnant. What will the nurse tell the patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tamoxifen is a good choice for women between the ages of 40 and 49 years as a cancer preventive, except for women at risk for DVT. Family risk and late childbearing age are indications for using tamoxifen, but only in women without increased risk of DVT. The risk of endometrial cancer increases with age and, without the risk of DVT, would not be a contraindication in a woman of the patient's age. The patient's risks of DVT do not change with age.

A 45-Year-Old Patient with a Family History of Breast Cancer