ENDOMETRIAL CHANGES IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN TREATED WITH TAMOXIFEN FOR BREAST-CANCER

Objective To evaluate whether risk factors, other than tamoxifen, can be identified for the development of endometrial pathologies in postmenopausal breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Oncology Clinic, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel. Subjects 77 asymptomatic postmenopausal women, treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer. Of these, 55 had no endometrial tissue and 22 had endometrial tissue obtained by biopsy. Main outcome measures Demographic characteristics, health habits, risk factors, vaginal ultrasonographic evaluations of endometrial thickness and texture, and histologic evaluations of endometrial biopsies. Results Overall, there was a high rate (29%) of endometrial pathological change among the 77 asymptomatic postmenopausal women. There were no significant statistical differences in the features tested between the two groups. Conclusion It is impossible to predict which postmenopausal women will develop pathological endometrial changes after treatment with tamoxifen and thus a routine periodic endometrial sampling-follow up is suggested for all postmenopausal women being treated with this agent.