Tamoxifen is a medicine used against breast cancer.

TamoxifenTamoxifen is a medicine used against breast cancer是一種用來對抗乳癌的藥物。

Many breast cancers grow because the body's own hormone, oestrogen, feeds them. Tamoxifen sits in the place where the hormone would attach to the cancer cell, so the hormone cannot get in. It does not kill the cancer directly; it takes away what the cancer was living on.

Many breast cancers grow許多乳癌之所以會長大， because the body's own hormone, oestrogen是因為身體自己的荷爾蒙——雌激素—— feeds them在餵養它們。 Tamoxifen sits in the placeTamoxifen會佔據那個位置， where the hormone would attach to the cancer cell也就是荷爾蒙原本要附著到癌細胞上的地方， so the hormone cannot get in讓荷爾蒙進不去。 It does not kill the cancer directly它不是直接殺死癌細胞， it takes away what the cancer was living on而是斷絕癌細胞賴以維生的東西。

Patients usually take it as a daily tablet for several years after surgery, to stop the cancer coming back, and doctors sometimes give it to people at high risk who do not have cancer yet. Common side effects are hot flushes and feeling tired — many patients say the medicine is not hard to take but is hard to keep taking for five or ten years.

Patients usually take it as a daily tablet病人通常每天服用一顆藥錠， for several years after surgery手術後連續好幾年， to stop the cancer coming back為的是防止癌症復發； and doctors sometimes give it to people at high risk醫生有時也會開給風險較高的人， who do not have cancer yet也就是還沒得癌症的人。 Common side effects are hot flushes and feeling tired常見的副作用是熱潮紅和疲倦—— many patients say the medicine is not hard to take很多病人說這藥本身不難吃， but is hard to keep taking for five or ten years難的是要連續吃五年、十年。

The word itself is a drug name, so it stays the same everywhere and takes no capital letter (Nolvadex, with a capital, is one brand version of it). You will meet it in health news and in doctors' talk, not in everyday conversation. If a student sees it, it is almost always in the phrase "on tamoxifen" — meaning taking it as ongoing treatment.

The word itself is a drug name這個字本身是藥品學名， so it stays the same everywhere and takes no capital letter所以到哪裡都一樣、也不用大寫 (Nolvadex, with a capital, is one brand version of it)（Nolvadex開頭大寫，是它的一個商品名）。 You will meet it in health news and in doctors' talk你會在健康新聞和醫生的談話裡遇到它， not in everyday conversation而不是在日常對話裡。 If a student sees it如果學生看到這個字， it is almost always in the phrase "on tamoxifen"幾乎都是出現在「on tamoxifen」這個說法裡—— meaning taking it as ongoing treatment意思是正在持續接受這種治療。