title: Histopathologic findings in thickened endometria, as measured by ultrasound in asymptomatic, postmenopausal breast cancer patients on various adjuvant treatment including tamoxifen.
abstract: Pallents with breast cancer exhibit an increased risk of developing cancer from other organs, a risk that might increase due to tamoxifen treatment. This drug has been found to cause activation of oestrogen receptors, leading to oestrogenic effects on the postmenopausal endometrium. We report follow-up of 94 patients with breast cancer without initial symptoms aged more than 50 years at the time of operation. They were followed-up with vaginal ultrasound at regular intervals and endometrial sampling was performed according to treatment after surgery: tamoxifen, tamoxifen in combination with other regimes and without tamoxifen treatment. A large proportion were investigated prior to treatment. We identified endometrial carcinoma, metastasis of breast carcinoma and histopathological changes in 17/67 (25%) of the patients treated with tamoxifen compared to 1/32 in those not treated with tamoxifen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstet/Gynecol, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willén
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindahl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andolf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ingvar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liedman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ranstam
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen