Tibolone therapy in breast cancer survivors: a retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a possible relationship between tibolone therapy and recurrence or mortality in breast cancer survivors.


METHODS
In a retrospective study, data from files of 247 patients who had been treated for breast cancer were analyzed. Twenty women were treated with tibolone because of menopausal symptoms (Group 1: mean duration of tibolone use 37.1 months). One hundred and one women who did not take tibolone were selected as the control group (Group 2). All women were followed up in our Department on our standard protocol (mean follow up: 73.4 months in Group 1, 67.4 months in Group 2). Comparison of the survival curves was applied with the Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic. Cox regression analysis was also applied in order to identify significant coefficients in the survival curve.


RESULTS
Recurrence of breast cancer was observed in two (10%) Group 1 women versus 21 (21%) Group 2 women (P = NS). Two Group 1 women died (one from breast cancer recurrence) versus 15 Group 2 women (14 from breast cancer recurrence).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite of the inherent limitations of this small retrospective study, it seems that tibolone does not reveal an apparent negative impact on breast cancer outcome when given to breast cancer survivors.
Goutzioulis
Michalis
M
Fourth Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippocration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Vavilis
Dimitrios
D
Agorastos
Theodoros
T
Konstantinidis
Theodoros
T
Pantazis
Konstantinos
K
Goutzioulis
Antonios
A
Goulis
Dimitrios G
DG
Makedos
George
G
Bontis
John N
JN
D000328:Adult; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017741:Survivors
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D009652:Norpregnenes; C027385:tibolone