title: Selective estrogen receptor modulators in reproductive medicine and biology.
abstract: Estrogen replacement therapy has significant potential benefits for postmenopausal women, such as improvement of menopausal symptoms and protection from osteoporosis, but it may also increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. Also, some women do not take hormone replacement therapy because of such undesirable side effects as breast tenderness and uterine bleeding. Therefore, there is much interest in the development of compounds that provide the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy without the risks and side effects. The selective estrogen receptor modulators make up one class of compounds with both estrogen agonist and antagonist activity. This review discusses the clinical indications, risks, benefits, and mechanisms of action of selective estrogen receptor modulators and related compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leitman
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jaffe
mesh_terms: D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D019833:Genistein; D006801:Humans; D017698:Postmenopause; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen
chemical_list: D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D004958:Estradiol; D019833:Genistein