Tamoxifen and a rare uterine cancer connection known since 1993

california_artist
california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
When I first learned of the connection between uterine papillary serous carcinoma and Tamxifen use to stave off repeat breast cancer. I assumed it was a recent discovery and doctors weren't mentioning it because they had yet to learn of it. Today I found this abstract from 1993. Whatever happened to first do no harm?

J Clin Oncol. 1993 Mar;11(3):485-90.
High-grade endometrial carcinoma in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients.
Magriples U, Naftolin F, Schwartz PE, Carcangiu ML.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
PURPOSE: Several reports have associated tamoxifen administration with endometrial carcinoma. A retrospective study of the histologic features of uterine cancer in patients with a history of breast carcinoma was undertaken to determine the effect of treatment with tamoxifen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A computer search of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Tumor Registry from 1980 to 1990 identified 53 patients with a history of breast carcinoma who subsequently developed a malignant tumor of the uterine corpus. RESULTS: Fifteen patients received tamoxifen for breast carcinoma and 38 did not. The mean ages of the two groups were not significantly different. The mean interval between detection of breast and endometrial cancers was 5 years in the tamoxifen group and 12 years in the nontreated group (P = .0023). Sixty-seven percent of patients in the tamoxifen group had poorly differentiated endometrioid carcinomas (including adenosquamous carcinoma) or carcinomas associated with poor outcome (eg, uterine papillary serous carcinoma, clear-cell carcinoma, or mixed müllerian tumor), as compared with 24% in the nontreated group (P = .03). Patients in the tamoxifen group were much more likely to die of endometrial cancer (33.3% v 2.6% of the nontreated group, P = .005). CONCLUSION: From this retrospective study, it appears that women receiving tamoxifen as treatment for breast cancer who subsequently develop uterine cancer are at risk for high-grade endometrial cancers that have a poor prognosis. These findings also indicate that tamoxifen-associated uterine cancers may have a different basis from those associated with steroidal estrogen treatment.
PMID: 8383191 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8383191

This is from the national institure of health (nih)

Comments

  • pgrace35
    pgrace35 Member Posts: 122
    #2
    Very Interesting
    Thank you so much for that info...I recently posted a thread here about Tamoxifin and how I have made the decision not to use it. It was for many different reasons than this one. This is just one more reason for me not to take it and take other measures. Thanks!!
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #3
    pgrace35 said:

    Very Interesting
    Thank you so much for that info...I recently posted a thread here about Tamoxifin and how I have made the decision not to use it. It was for many different reasons than this one. This is just one more reason for me not to take it and take other measures. Thanks!!

    This is from 1993? Wow,
    This is from 1993? Wow, scary stuff!

    Hugs, Diane ♥
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    To loosely quote the pharmacy:
    Your doctor has determined that the benefits of this medication to you outweigh the risks.

    Hugs, Kathi
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #5
    KathiM said:

    To loosely quote the pharmacy:
    Your doctor has determined that the benefits of this medication to you outweigh the risks.

    Hugs, Kathi

    estrogen positive cancers
    Hi all,
    it seem like this topic never goes away. Being on Tamoxifen myself i would like to stress the fact that there is a very limited choice to prevent recurrence: take nothing, Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor, such as Femara or aromatisin.
    Every option has risks and benefits. Both classes of drugs have significant side effects. Tamoxifen i a generic drug, preserves bones and liver, but has 1% endometric cancer.. Femara/Arimidex has no statistic for causing cancer, but do cause osteoporosis 50% and high cholesterol. You can take Zometa or Boniva to protect bones, but these two drugs have its own side effects, including serious dental complications.
    It is a personal decision which risk to take.
  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
    #6
    New Flower said:

    estrogen positive cancers
    Hi all,
    it seem like this topic never goes away. Being on Tamoxifen myself i would like to stress the fact that there is a very limited choice to prevent recurrence: take nothing, Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor, such as Femara or aromatisin.
    Every option has risks and benefits. Both classes of drugs have significant side effects. Tamoxifen i a generic drug, preserves bones and liver, but has 1% endometric cancer.. Femara/Arimidex has no statistic for causing cancer, but do cause osteoporosis 50% and high cholesterol. You can take Zometa or Boniva to protect bones, but these two drugs have its own side effects, including serious dental complications.
    It is a personal decision which risk to take.

    tamoxifen
    i also take tamoxifen and i will take my chances if it helps keep my cancer from coming back . i have had no problems on it. i think it is a to each their own decision.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #7
    teresa41 said:

    tamoxifen
    i also take tamoxifen and i will take my chances if it helps keep my cancer from coming back . i have had no problems on it. i think it is a to each their own decision.

    http://csn.cancer.org/node/181214
    discussion on Tamocifen at Uterine cancer board .
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    #8
    New Flower said:

    http://csn.cancer.org/node/181214
    discussion on Tamocifen at Uterine cancer board .

    Well, that was very
    Well, that was very interesting. I appreciated all of the insights that the uterine cancer ladies had to share. It's amazing how many of them...all...were BC survivors on tamoxifen. You all know that my mom just died of a uterine cancer in November. I just finished chemo and am starting rads in two weeks. My oncologist has already told me that she wants to have my ovaries removed and then will start me on AIs after that...no tamoxifen for me...too much risk!
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #9
    pitt said:

    Well, that was very
    Well, that was very interesting. I appreciated all of the insights that the uterine cancer ladies had to share. It's amazing how many of them...all...were BC survivors on tamoxifen. You all know that my mom just died of a uterine cancer in November. I just finished chemo and am starting rads in two weeks. My oncologist has already told me that she wants to have my ovaries removed and then will start me on AIs after that...no tamoxifen for me...too much risk!

    No tamox for me as of yet.
    No tamox for me as of yet. Interesting articles.

    Sue :)
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
    pitt said:

    Well, that was very
    Well, that was very interesting. I appreciated all of the insights that the uterine cancer ladies had to share. It's amazing how many of them...all...were BC survivors on tamoxifen. You all know that my mom just died of a uterine cancer in November. I just finished chemo and am starting rads in two weeks. My oncologist has already told me that she wants to have my ovaries removed and then will start me on AIs after that...no tamoxifen for me...too much risk!

    No tamox for me as of yet.
    No tamox for me as of yet. Interesting articles.

    Sue :)

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