In women who have breast cancer that is sensitive to oestrogen, taking a hormone therapy for at least five years after surgery reduces the risk of breast cancer coming back. Tamoxifen is proven to be a very effective hormone therapy when used in this way.

For women who are past the menopause there are also newer types of hormone therapy known as aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase inhibitors include anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane. They are at least as effective as tamoxifen but work in a different way. The side-effects of aromatase inhibitors are different to those caused by tamoxifen. So if a woman is having problems with side-effects on tamoxifen these may be helped by changing to an aromatase inhibitor.

Studies have also found that taking tamoxifen for two to three years and then changing to an aromatase inhibitor, may be more effective than five years of taking tamoxifen.

It would be worthwhile for you to talk to your oncologist about your wish to stop tamoxifen. They may suggest changing to a different hormonal treatment. In this way you may be able to continue to reduce your risk of the breast cancer coming back but without the side effects you have at the moment.