[Hysteroscopic evaluation of the endometrium in 63 postmenopausal patients treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer].
This retrospective analysis intends to evaluate by histeroscopy the endometrial findings in a group of 63 patients in post-menopausal treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer. Our patients assumed tamoxifen for a different period between 6 and 120 months. Patients have been divided in two groups: I) patients undergoing hysteroscopy because of some clinical symptoms; II) patients who undergoing hysteroscopy as a routine examination. The most important observation of this work is the correlation between the presence of negative endometrium and low risk hyperplasia (LRH) associated to: symptomatology and duration of therapy. In the group of asymptomatic patients the LRH is found only after 3 years of treatment, while in the group of symptomatic patients, LRH is present within the first two years of treatment; beyond this period high risk hyperplasia (HRH) and endometrial carcinoma have been diagnosed. We also observed a higher incidence of endometrial polyps in this population than among the non treated group and among the symptomatic patients. From these data we conclude that hysteroscopy follow-up has to be performed in the group of patients treated with tamoxifen and that it would be necessary to have a hysteroscopy before the beginning of therapy and that this one has to be repeated once a year through the treatment. Obviously the symptomatic patients have to undergo hysteroscopy as soon as possible as a higher incidence of HRH and endometrial carcinoma has been detected in this group of patients.
Baldini
B
B
Servizio di Isteroscopia, I Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Università degli Studi, Firenze.
Taddei
G L
GL
Tiso
E
E
Visioli
C B
CB
Campos
K J
KJ
Napolitano
A C
AC
Tantini
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011182:Postoperative Care; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013629:Tamoxifen