Frequently Asked Questions   /   Types of Cancer

Tamoxifen & Radiation at The Same Time?

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The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Last Modified: December 13, 2011

Question

I will be getting radiation and also tamoxifen treatment following a lumpectomy T2N0. Is there a downside to concurrent treatment?

Answer

Kevin Fox, MD, Medical Oncologist at Penn , responds:

There have been several studies that have looked at concurrent versus sequential radiation and tamoxifen in early stage breast cancer. There appears to be no difference in treatment effectiveness, so there is not downside to your doing them concurrently. Having said that, many of our patients choose to do the treatments sequentially to avoid combining side effects. You can feel comfortable doing it either way.

This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat. Series, View the Life After Breast Cancer transcript.