Psychiatric Technician Practice Exam

Which medication is primarily prescribed for the suppression of tumor growth in breast cancer?

1. Letrozole

2. Tamoxifen

3. Paclitaxel

4. Anastrozole

The correct answer is: Tamoxifen

The medication primarily prescribed for the suppression of tumor growth in breast cancer is Tamoxifen. This drug is classified as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and has been widely used in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. By binding to estrogen receptors in breast tissues, Tamoxifen blocks the effects of estrogen, which can promote tumor growth in certain types of breast cancer. Tamoxifen is particularly effective in premenopausal women and is often prescribed for both treatment and prevention of breast cancer recurrence. Its ability to inhibit estrogen's proliferative effects on breast tissue plays a crucial role in managing and reducing the risk of tumor progression. Although the other medications listed also have roles in breast cancer treatment—such as Letrozole and Anastrozole, which are aromatase inhibitors used primarily in postmenopausal women, and Paclitaxel, which serves as a chemotherapy agent targeting rapidly dividing cells—they are not characterized by the same mechanism of action as Tamoxifen in terms of estrogen receptor modulation and are typically used in different contexts or patient populations.