title: Ospemifene, vulvovaginal atrophy, and breast cancer.
abstract: The incidence and severity of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) in postmenopausal breast cancer patients has a significant impact on quality of life. While the etiology of VVA is primarily related to low estrogen levels seen in menopause, women with breast cancer have an added risk of VVA induced by a combination of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and menopause. Ospemifene is a new, non-hormonal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) triphenylethylene derivative that is effective in treating VVA in postmenopausal women. Although other SERMs have antagonistic effects on the vagina, ospemifene exerts an estrogen-like effect on the vaginal epithelium. This review will focus on data demonstrating the antiestrogenic activity of ospemifene in several unique breast cancer animal models, and the implications for utilizing ospemifene in patients with breast cancer suffering from VVA. Additional research addressing the expanded use of ospemifene in breast cancer patients is also warranted.
authors: University of California, Davis, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address: gtwurz@ucdavis.edu.
authors: Gregory T
authors: GT
authors: Wurz
authors: El Dorado Hematology and Oncology, Marshall Hospital, Cameron Park, CA 95682, USA. Electronic address: l.soe@comcast.net.
authors: Lin H
authors: LH
authors: Soe
authors: University of California, Davis, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address: mwdegregorio@ucdavis.edu.
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: DeGregorio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001284:Atrophy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014844:Vulva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen; C119141:Ospemifene
keywords: Antiestrogen; Breast cancer; Ospemifene; Vulvovaginal atrophy