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NCI Drug Dictionary


tamoxifen citrate  Patient Information
The citrate salt of an antineoplastic nonsteroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Tamoxifen competitively inhibits the binding of estradiol to estrogen receptors, thereby preventing the receptor from binding to the estrogen-response element on DNA. The result is a reduction in DNA synthesis and cellular response to estrogen. In addition, tamoxifen up-regulates the production of transforming growth factor B (TGFb), a factor that inhibits tumor cell growth, and down-regulates insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a factor that stimulates breast cancer cell growth. Tamoxifen also down-regulates protein kinase C (PKC) expression in a dose-dependant manner, inhibiting signal transduction and producing an antiproliferative effect in tumors such as malignant glioma and other cancers that overexpress PKC. Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)
Synonyms:tamoxifen
tamoxifeni citras
US brand names:Nolvadex
Novaldex
Foreign brand names:Apo-Tamox
Clonoxifen
Dignotamoxi
Ebefen
Emblon
Estroxyn
Fentamox
Genox
Gen-Tamoxifen
Jenoxifen
Kessar
Ledertam
Lesporene
Nolgen
Noltam
Nolvadex-D
Nourytam
Novofen
Novo-Tamoxifen
Oestrifen
Oncotam
PMS-Tamoxifen
Soltamox
Tamax
Tamaxin
Tamifen
Tamizam
Tamofen
Tamoxasta
Zemide
Abbreviations:TAM
TMX
Code names:ICI 46,474
ICI-46474
Chemical structures:(Z)-2-[4-(1,2-diphenyl-1-butenyl)phenoxy]-N,N-dimethylethanamine 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate (1:1)
1-p-beta-dimethylamino-ethoxyphenyl-trans-1,2-diphenylbut-1-ene