Researchers have found that melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, may help reduce the side effects of tamoxifen, a common breast cancer drug. When paired with tamoxifen in lab tests, melatonin helped the drug kill cancer cells more effectively, potentially reducing the need for tamoxifen treatment and therefore its side effects. Specifically, nanostructures filled with melatonin injected several times a day were shown to help tamoxifen eliminate breast cancer cells while the melatonin breakdown products left behind caused no harm. This early-stage research presents a potential new approach to improving breast cancer treatment.

1. Sleep
Hormone
Helps Breast
Cancer Meds
Gil Schwartzberg

2. According to the Center for Disease Control,
the most common type of cancer that women
experience is breast cancer.

3. With more than 200,000 cases recorded in
the United States each year researchers have
been making significant progress in treating
the disease.

4. The most common drug used to stop and kill the
breast cancer cells is called Tamoxifen. Although the
drug is extremely popular among cancer doctors
worldwide, there is a significant amount of alarming
side effects that may result from Tamoxifen use.

5. Researchers have been working tirelessly to
stop the side effects and create safer and
more effective cancer treatments.

6. 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 cycles
Noticeable Weight loss
Hot flushes and spells
Chest pain
Dizziness
Vision Problems
Headache
Depression
Nausea
Risk of Uterine Cancer
Stroke
Pulmonary 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 :

7. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone
found in the human body. It helps promote
healthy sleep and regulates the internal cycle
of sleep. Melatonin is also produced in labs in
various forms, but most commonly pills.

8. New research that has been conducted
through the Tabriz University of Iran, suggests
that melatonin paired with chemotherapeutic
drugs can allow for the drug to be more
effective in killing cancer cells.

9. As a result of this Tamoxifen may work quicker
and more effectively decreasing the need for
it, ultimately reducing the nasty side effects of
the drug.

10. Many lab tests have been conducted to show
that nanostructures filled with Melatonin can
be injected every few hours to help Tamoxifen
kill the cancer cells.

11. Also important to note, Melatonin is relatively
unstable and it breaks down fairly quickly so it
needs to be reinjected a few times a day. But,
once the Melatonin is broken down in the
body the nanostructures left behind have
been found to cause no harm to the tissue.

12. This research is a significant breakthrough in
cancer treatment even though it is in its early
stages.

13. Medical Journal Reference
Mehdi Sabzichi, Nasser Samadi, Jamal Mohammadian, Hamed
Hamishehkar, Maryam Akbarzadeh, Ommoleila Molavi. Sustained
release of melatonin: A novel approach in elevating efficacy of
tamoxifen in breast cancer treatment. Colloids and Surfaces B:
Biointerfaces, 2016; 145: 64 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.04.042