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. 2018 Sep;61(5):615-620.
doi: 10.5468/ogs.2018.61.5.615. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

The effect of tamoxifen therapy on the endometrium and ovarian cyst formation in patients with breast cancer

Seul Lee  1 , Yun Hwa Kim  1 , Seung Chul Kim  1 , Jong Kil Joo  1 , Dong Suh Seo  1 , Ki Hyung Kim  1 , Kyu Sup Lee  1
Affiliations

The effect of tamoxifen therapy on the endometrium and ovarian cyst formation in patients with breast cancer

Seul Lee et al. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of tamoxifen on female reproductive organs in women with breast cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 309 women with breast cancer who were currently receiving tamoxifen and undergoing regular gynecological examination.

Results: We evaluated 92 pre- and 217 postmenopausal women. The prevalence of endometrial thickening was 12% in the pre- and 10.6% in the postmenopausal group. An endometrial biopsy was performed in 43 women and confirmed endometrial cancer in 1, endometrial polyps in 14, and endometrial hyperplasia in 4 women. Transvaginal ultrasonography showed 25 cases of newly developed ovarian cysts. Most ovarian cysts had disappeared during follow-up.

Conclusion: Tamoxifen use in women with breast cancer causes few complications and is considered safe for female reproductive organs in case of regular gynecological examination.

Keywords: Breast neoplasms; Endometrium; Ovary; Tamoxifen.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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