The standard recommendation following surgery for women with early estrogen receptor-breast cancer has been 5 years of tamoxifen to reduce recurrence and death. A large, randomized trial reports that longer seems to be accompanied by better outcomes. When researchers compared those who took tamoxifen for 10 years with those who did not take it, the risk for death from breast cancer was cut almost in half (P<0.00001). There are some risks, but they are small compared to the benefits.
PositiveTip: If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, talk to your physician about the value of additional years on tamoxifen.