Darkness may make tamoxifen more effective - interesting findings

CypressCynthia
CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
in Breast Cancer #1

I saw this in the Sunday paper this am:

"In a study that sheds new light on the body’s wake-sleep cycle, Tulane University researchers have found dim light at night can compromise the effectiveness of the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, while sleeping in total darkness can enhance its impact.

 

The study, published in the journal Cancer Research, found that exposure to light at night shuts down production of the hormone melatonin, rendering breast cancer completely resistant to tamoxifen.

 

The findings, based on studies involving mice implanted with human breast cancer cells, are the first to show that melatonin is vital to the success of tamoxifen in treating breast cancer.
 

"In the first phase of the study, we kept animals in a daily light/dark cycle of 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of total darkness [melatonin is elevated during the dark phase] for several weeks," Steven Hill who helped conduct the study.
 

"In the second study, we exposed them to the same daily light/dark cycle; however, during the 12 hour dark phase, animals were exposed to extremely dim light at night [melatonin levels are suppressed], roughly equivalent to faint light coming under a door."
 

Melatonin by itself delayed the formation of tumors and significantly slowed their growth but tamoxifen caused a dramatic regression of tumors in animals with either high nighttime levels of melatonin during complete darkness or those receiving melatonin supplements during dim light at night.
 

These findings have enormous implications for women being treated with tamoxifen who are regularly exposed to light at night due to sleep problems, working night shifts, or exposed to light from computer and TV screens.
 

"High melatonin levels at night put breast cancer cells to 'sleep' by turning off key growth mechanisms. These cells are vulnerable to tamoxifen. But when the lights are on and melatonin is suppressed, breast cancer cells 'wake up' and ignore tamoxifen," said co-researcher David Blask."

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/tamoxifen-darkness-sleep-melatonin/2014/07/25/id/584984/

Comments

  • RozHopkins
    RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
    #2
    Wow interesting.  Makes you

    Wow interesting.  Makes you wonder if in that case is it better to take Tamoxifen just before bedtime when at its highest strength?  Giving the best response.

  • bonbondidit
    bonbondidit Member Posts: 116
    #3
    Amazing

    This is amazing information. Thank you so much for sharing as this will be my med coming soon.

     

    Best,

    Bonnie

  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #4
    bonbondidit said:

    Amazing

    This is amazing information. Thank you so much for sharing as this will be my med coming soon.

     

    Best,

    Bonnie

    Did you HAVE TO tell us about this? :-)

    CC, I'm so conflicted about this...on the one hand, of course I appreciate your sharing such an interesting and relevant study with us....On the other hand, my bedroom looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise at night, so what's a girl to do?

    I've been on Tamoxifen for nearly 5 years (only 5 1/2 years to go!), and my main side effect is hot flashes.  At night.  

    So I have both a window fan and a portable air conditioner in the bedroom (if you have any meat you need stored, come to my house, we can hang it in the bedroom).  Both the fan and air conditioner have bright LED lights.  Then there are the clock radios, and the cable box, and the wi-fi thingy, and the phone...all of which have LED lights.  I'm telling you, it looks like the Enterprise bridge in there, and must be significantly brighter than the "extremely dim light at night, roughly equivalent to faint light coming under a door" those mice on Tamoxifen were exposed to.  Oh, and yeah -- we've got "faint light coming under the door," too.

    So I'm scr*wed.  It kind of makes me want to sit in my room of bright, beepy-boopy lights eating deep-fried, sugar-coated bacon washed down with fully leaded Pepsi and just say, the heck with it!

    Yell Traci

     

     

     

  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #5
    I'm with Traci

    My bedroom has all kinds of idiot lights and indicator lights. On top of that, we sleep with the TV on (I set the sleep timer and my husband turns the TV back on). This will totally change my sleeping habits!

    Thanks for sharing the article and although I'm triple negative and not on any hormones, it is worth taking note of.

    hugs,

    JoAnn

     

     

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    TraciInLA said:

    Did you HAVE TO tell us about this? :-)

    CC, I'm so conflicted about this...on the one hand, of course I appreciate your sharing such an interesting and relevant study with us....On the other hand, my bedroom looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise at night, so what's a girl to do?

    I've been on Tamoxifen for nearly 5 years (only 5 1/2 years to go!), and my main side effect is hot flashes.  At night.  

    So I have both a window fan and a portable air conditioner in the bedroom (if you have any meat you need stored, come to my house, we can hang it in the bedroom).  Both the fan and air conditioner have bright LED lights.  Then there are the clock radios, and the cable box, and the wi-fi thingy, and the phone...all of which have LED lights.  I'm telling you, it looks like the Enterprise bridge in there, and must be significantly brighter than the "extremely dim light at night, roughly equivalent to faint light coming under a door" those mice on Tamoxifen were exposed to.  Oh, and yeah -- we've got "faint light coming under the door," too.

    So I'm scr*wed.  It kind of makes me want to sit in my room of bright, beepy-boopy lights eating deep-fried, sugar-coated bacon washed down with fully leaded Pepsi and just say, the heck with it!

    Yell Traci

     

     

     

    Take a deep breath. It is

    Wink

    Take a deep breath. It is just one study and on mice. I have no idea what my bedroom was like back then -  probably like the Vegas Strip considering Katherine was only 4. Today, I throw washcloths over the clock, etc close to me. I am not on tamoxifen, but research is beginning to suggest all of that light can screw up sleep. And my sleep is sooo screwed up from iv steroids. Anyway, I love duct tape. Cover what you can (for quality sleep, if not for tamoxifen) and then,  "forget about it!"  Winky face should go here. I have no idea why it keeps moving to the top of the post... Lol. 

  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #7
    tamoxifen

    Lots of interesting studies out there.  My friend used tamoxifen for a few years but change to something else.   I'm Triple Negative and cant use it....  wonder if all that stuff about lights etc at night is really valid.   Many many theories.............thank God for all those researchers........  praying for a cure ......

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #8
    I wnet off tamofien last Aug

    I wnet off tamofien last Aug after completing five full years. I had no side effects to speak of other then wicked night leg cramps.

     

    Denise

  • mtmom
    mtmom Member Posts: 59
    #9
    Melatonin

    Interesting! While I was on chemo I had a terrible time with fatigue. My naturopath started me on melatonin...20mg. The stuff at the store is usually 3mg. It worked great. But one of the problems with taking it long term is that your body gets used to it and it is not as effective for sleep. She told me to continue to take it because it had other benefits for fighting cancer. Maybe taking melatonin as a supplement could help in your case, Traci. I take a break from it every now and then but I always keep it bedside.

    Blessings,

    ~Mtmom

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