toremifene

Toremifene

Toremifene, sold under the brand name Fareston among others, is a medication which is used in the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It is taken by mouth. Side effects of toremifene include hot flashes, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, vaginal discharge, and vaginal bleeding. It can also cause blood clots, irregular heartbeat, cataracts, visual disturbances, elevated liver enzymes, endometrial hyperplasia, and endometrial cancer. High blood calcium levels can occur in women with bone metastases. The medication is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and hence is a mixed agonist–antagonist of the estrogen receptor (ER), the biological target of estrogens like estradiol. It has estrogenic effects in bone, the liver, and the uterus and antiestrogenic effects in the breasts. It is a triphenylethylene derivative and is closely related to tamoxifen. Toremifene was introduced for medical use in 1997. It was the first antiestrogen to be introduced since tamoxifen in 1978. It is available as a generic medication in the United States.