title: The effect of raloxifene on telomerase expression in breast carcinoma samples from postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the effect of raloxifene on the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in invasive ductal breast carcinoma of postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 20 postmenopausal women with invasive, stage II, estrogen receptor-positive ductal carcinoma diagnosed by incisional biopsy, who received 60 mg of raloxifene orally for 28 days prior to definitive surgery. On the 29th day of treatment, definitive surgery was performed and a second tumor sample was taken for analysis. The catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) was evaluated semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry in the tumor samples obtained prior to and following raloxifene use and the results were analyzed using the McNemar test (p<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The samples of 17 patients (85%) were classified as positive for telomerase expression prior to raloxifene treatment, while only 6 (30%) remained positive following raloxifene treatment (p<0.0026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, raloxifene significantly reduced the expression of hTERT in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors from postmenopausal women.
authors: Department of Gynecology and Mastology, Hospital Getúlio Vargas, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. linagsantos@uol.com.br
authors: Lina G
authors: LG
authors: dos Santos
authors: Benedito B
authors: BB
authors: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017698:Postmenopause; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase