Tamoxifen

Double Whammy
Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
Diane and Annie and anyone else:

Do you believe your cancer was a side effect of Tamoxifen? Were your docs doing routine ultrasounds to check the lining of your uterus?

Since I got both breast and endometrial cancers at the same time, it certainly didn't play a role in my case. I have also been told by those white coated people that it is not unusual for a woman to have both cancers over the course of her lifetime because the risk factors are the same. Since I frequent both the breast and uterine cancer boards, I've seen it both ways - breast first or uterine first.

Just curious.

Suzanne

Comments

  • upsofloating
    upsofloating Member Posts: 466 Member
    #2
    My doctors all deny that
    My doctors all deny that there is any relationship between tamoxifen and my UPSC. I disagree. After year one on tamoxifen, my oncologist informed me annual endo biopsies were no longer considered necessary while on tamoxifen. My first ultrasound was after I developed a sudden onset of quite significant bleeding. A D&C indicated no cancer but many! Polyps were found. I changed to femara but I had been on tamxifen 6.5 yrs. at the recommendation of my med onc. Later when I got copies of my med record, she stated continued treatment w/tamoxifen was at my request! (Cya!) No primary was found at debulking surgery 2 yrs later - thought to have been 'missed' in D&C and was in one of polyps removed - all rather vague. Unfortunately, whatever the situation, I can't go back and change it. I would definitely rec regular monitoring to anyone on tamoxifen.
    Annie
  • MoeKay
    MoeKay Member Posts: 493 Member
    #3
    upsofloating said:

    My doctors all deny that
    My doctors all deny that there is any relationship between tamoxifen and my UPSC. I disagree. After year one on tamoxifen, my oncologist informed me annual endo biopsies were no longer considered necessary while on tamoxifen. My first ultrasound was after I developed a sudden onset of quite significant bleeding. A D&C indicated no cancer but many! Polyps were found. I changed to femara but I had been on tamxifen 6.5 yrs. at the recommendation of my med onc. Later when I got copies of my med record, she stated continued treatment w/tamoxifen was at my request! (Cya!) No primary was found at debulking surgery 2 yrs later - thought to have been 'missed' in D&C and was in one of polyps removed - all rather vague. Unfortunately, whatever the situation, I can't go back and change it. I would definitely rec regular monitoring to anyone on tamoxifen.
    Annie

    Online information from the
    Online information from the National Cancer Institute on endometrial cancer prevention, found at
    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/endometrial/HealthProfessional/page2, states in part as follows:

    "Based on solid evidence, more than 2 years of tamoxifen use is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer.[16,17] A different selective estrogen receptor modifier, raloxifene, does not have this association.[18,19]

    Magnitude of Effect: Women taking tamoxifen for more than 2 years have a 2.3-fold to 7.5-fold relative risk (RR) of endometrial cancer.

    Study Design: Multiple randomized controlled trials.
    Internal Validity: Good.
    Consistency: Good.
    External Validity: Good."

    See the above link for the entire article, including cited studies.

    MoeKay

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