Growth phase in relation to the lethal action of tamoxifen on Candida albicans.

Tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer, might have antifungal potential. The fungicidal activity of tamoxifen against Candida albicans surpassed that of the most active of the imidazole-type drugs. At 15-20 microM, tamoxifen rapidly killed yeast cells in stationary phase as well as in logarithmic phase, whereas imidazoles at this level generally do not exert significant lethal activity against stationary phase organisms.