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According to the Center for Disease Control,the most common type of cancer that women
experience is breast cancer.
With more than 200,000 cases recorded inthe United States each year researchers havebeen making significant progress in treating
the disease.
The most common drug used to stop and kill thebreast cancer cells is called Tamoxifen. Although the
drug is extremely popular among cancer doctorsworldwide, there is a significant amount of alarming
side effects that may result from Tamoxifen use.
Researchers have been working tirelessly tostop the side effects and create safer and
more effective cancer treatments.
T A M O X I F E N C O M M O N S I D E E F F E C T S I N C L U D E :
Irregular menstruation cyclesNoticeable Weight lossHot flushes and spellsChest painDizziness
Vision ProblemsHeadacheDepressionNausea
Risk of Uterine CancerStrokePulmonary Embolism
T A M O X I F E N S E R I O U S S I D E E F F E C T S :
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormonefound in the human body. It helps promote
healthy sleep and regulates the internal cycleof sleep. Melatonin is also produced in labs in
various forms, but most commonly pills.
New research that has been conductedthrough the Tabriz University of Iran, suggeststhat melatonin paired with chemotherapeutic
drugs can allow for the drug to be moreeffective in killing cancer cells.
As a result of this Tamoxifen may work quickerand more effectively decreasing the need forit, ultimately reducing the nasty side effects of
the drug.
Many lab tests have been conducted to showthat nanostructures filled with Melatonin can
be injected every few hours to help Tamoxifenkill the cancer cells.
Also important to note, Melatonin is relativelyunstable and it breaks down fairly quickly so itneeds to be reinjected a few times a day. But,
once the Melatonin is broken down in thebody the nanostructures left behind have
been found to cause no harm to the tissue.
This research is a significant breakthrough incancer treatment even though it is in its early
stages.
Medical Journal ReferenceMehdi Sabzichi, Nasser Samadi, Jamal Mohammadian, Hamed
Hamishehkar, Maryam Akbarzadeh, Ommoleila Molavi. Sustainedrelease of melatonin: A novel approach in elevating efficacy oftamoxifen in breast cancer treatment. Colloids and Surfaces B:
Biointerfaces, 2016; 145: 64 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.04.042
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