Evaluation of insulin-like growth factor-I in postmenopausal women with breast cancer treated with raloxifene.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to evaluate serum IGF-I levels in postmenopausal women with breast cancer treated primarily with raloxifene.


METHODS
Twenty-two postmenopausal patients with operable, stage I or II, estrogen receptor-positive carcinomas participated in this study. Following confirmation of diagnosis, the patients received 60 mg of raloxifene for 28 days prior to definitive surgery. Blood samples were collected for evaluation of serum IGF-I levels prior to initiating medication and following a 28-day treatment course. Student's t-test for paired samples was used in the statistical analysis. Significance was established at p < 0.05.


RESULTS
Mean serum IGF-I levels pre- and post-raloxifene treatment were 143.7 +/- 9.7 ng/ml and 94.8 +/- 7.6 ng/ml, respectively. This reduction in serum IGF-I levels following treatment with raloxifene was statistically significant (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Raloxifene significantly reduced serum IGF-I levels in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.
da Silva
Benedito B
BB
Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. beneditoborges@globo.com
Moita
Daniel S
DS
Pires
Cleicilene G
CG
Sousa-Junior
Edílson C
EC
dos Santos
Alesse R
AR
Lopes-Costa
Pedro V
PV