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In addition to their relevance for cancer treatment and prevention, SERMs may also be potentially important for women who have passed through menopause and, therefore, produce little estrogen.
The lack of estrogen in postmenopausal women is linked to several health problems. For example, estrogen has positive effects on blood vessels and on bones. After menopause, though, women are at increased risk for heart disease and for osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones that causes them to become more vulnerable to fractures.
To counteract these potential problems, many postmenopausal women take hormone pills containing estrogen to strengthen bones and help control other menopausal symptoms. But as a consequence, such women may also subject themselves to the harmful effects of estrogen, namely, an increased risk for invasive breast cancer and for uterine cancer.
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