Hi Beth,

Geez...haven’t talked to you this much in ages! 

I’m sorry to hear about your mother.   Yes, tamoxifen is often used with breast cancer patients. I believe breast cancer is associated with high estrogen levels, so I guess the idea is that if the action of estrogen can be blocked, the cancer can be kept from spreading. 

With CAH, estrogen is what makes bone age advance, so the tamoxifen would be used to keep that from happening.  If estrogen production can be blocked, then high androgen levels, leading to premature closing of the bone plates, would not be as big of a problem. 

In that way, the Tamoxifen is similar to the testolactone that is being used in the three-drug trial for CAH, being conducted by the NIH.  Both are still considered experimental for use of CAH.  I know there are a couple of kids here in the NIH trial.....wondering if there are any doctors out there trying this same sort of thing, but not associated with that study.