title: Endometrial cytologic findings in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the endometrial cytologic findings in tamoxifen (TAM)-treated patients and evaluate the clinical significance of these findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,739 endometrial cytologic samples were obtained from 203 breast cancer patients with TAM treatment using an endocyte device. Histologic examinations were recommended for the 23 endometrial cytologic samples (18 initial and 5 follow-up endometrial cytologic samples). These 23 samples were cytopathologically reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large nuclear dimension and anisokaryosis of the endometrial glandular cells were found in the 23 endometrial cytologic samples. All patients were amenorrheic and postmenopausal except for 3 premenopausal women with endometrial cancer. The subsequent histologic examinations showed 3 atrophic endometria, 3 cystic atrophies, 11 endometrial polyps and 6 endometrial cancers. The tumor diathesis and atypical features of cell aggregates, such as a loss of polarity and severe piling up of nuclei, were seen in the cytologic samples of the endometrial cancers but were not found in those with benign conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large nuclear dimension and anisokaryosis of the glandular cells were sometimes found in endometrial cytologic samples from the TAM-treated patients. The atypical characteristics of the cell aggregates with these types of cellular atypia are useful for the cytologic assessment of malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan. thachisu@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hachisuga
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawarabayashi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamihara
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nabeshima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen