Tamoxifen Increases Risk Of Endometrial Cancer In Young Breast-Cancer Survivors
A South Korean study published in Frontiers In Oncology found that young breast cancer survivors treated with the medication tamoxifen had a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining) at a later point than previously assessed.
Tamoxifen (TAM) is anti-hormonal medication used as an adjuvant in the treatment of certain hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. The use of TAM has been linked to a range of adverse effects including menopause like symptoms, blood clotting complications and cancer of the uterine lining (endometrial cancer) in women of all ages.
For this study, a total of 60,545 breast cancer survivors from both premenopausal and postmenopausal age groups were included. The aim was to assess the probability of endometrial cancer, benign endometrial conditions, and the probability of invasive endometrial procedure among women treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer.
The results of the study showed that young breast cancer survivors aged below 50 years had a significantly increased risk of endometrial cancer. All in all, the actual incidence of endometrial cancer in younger breast cancer survivors were still lower compared to their postmenopausal counterparts.
This suggests that gynaecological assessments of endometrial cancer should be considered at an earlier stage in young breast cancer survivors This can improve early detection of endometrial cancers and circumvent unneeded invasive procedures down the road.
Source: Choi S, Lee YJ, Jeong JH, et al. Risk of Endometrial Cancer and Frequencies of Invasive Endometrial Procedures in Young Breast Cancer Survivors Treated With Tamoxifen: A Nationwide Study. Front Oncol. 2021;11:636378. Published 2021 Jun 3.
Source link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8209428/
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