tamoxifin and endometrial cancer

I finished tamoxifen in sep 2010 i am haveing a hysteroscopy on march 8,the consultant said she feels the thickened endometrium of 17 has been caused by the tamoxifen,but to be certain i am haveing this done,i am worrid it could be cancer,not sure how i will take,i thought getting to 5 years i could put this behind me,but as my mother and her sister both had breast cancer and it came back i am thinking this is going to happen to me,i am trying not to think that way but sometimes it just gets to me,i will just have to wait and see what the 8 march offers me.

I've had three endo bx and numerous US due to tamoxifen induced changes, after being on T for 

2 1/2 years.  I finally had a total hyster a few weeks ago, and the path was neg, although it was an unknown going in.  According to my gyn/onc the risk of tamox induced endometrial cancer si slim, but if you have increasing endometrial stripe (thickness), and/or growing ovarian cystsyou pretty much have no choice but to keep getting ultrasounded and biopsied every few months.

Like Dianeinil said, it would most likely be folund early stage and cured with a hyst, but who wants to hear those words again? 

Just think how many lives we would save if they would stop pushing tamoxifen. This drug causes cancer. How it the world was it ever approved? Indole 3 carbonol/DIM does the exact same thing as tamoxifen. It inhibits cancer cells from occupying hormone receptor sites. But of course, there is no money to be made from a compound that comes from cuciferous vegetables so the truth will not be told. But there is a lot of information about this out there. Google it.

I am scheduled tomorrow morning for a D&C for endometrial thickening found on a routine trans-vaginal U/S. 

Would love to hear from others as to what the recovery was like and also, from others that had the thickening, what did it turn out to be?  What was your follow-up like.  I too am TIRED of this and, if this is what I have to look forward to every year, it can all go!  

Thanks Jan!!!

Boy, I swear this is the gift that just keeps on giving!! It is all so stressful!  How's your healing after your exchange going?  I hope GREAT!

xtine,

My Medical Onc had told me that many GYN's will monitor with U/S and he was not a fan of that!  Said it resulted in too many unnecessary procedures and, unless there was bleeding (I am post-meno) he wouldn't recommend it.

Then I go to my new (to me) GYN who wants to take a peek since I have been on Tam for 1 1/2 years... Lo and behold thickened lining.  Post-meno that lining should be paper thin but have seen MANY stories of just thickening due to TAM  without it being an issue, just needs to be checked out!  I'm bummed but, I do understand the better safe than sorry so tomorrow is my "taking care of what I must" day!

I did see one post that referred to Tamoxifen should be renamed to "The GYN full-employment act"

Dianeinil,

I cannot thank you enough for posting your story!!! If this D&C shows even a HINT of something wrong OR they tell me that I have to do this crap every year.... I'm done!  If you don't mind answering.... Was there a downside to the hysterectomy?  What was the recovery like?

I didn't before my D+Cs (I'm on tamoxifen.)  Different preferences for different docs I guess.  I did have a leg compression machine though, which is another option.  I think at my place they routinely do leg compressions for all patients ?after age 50? for gyne surgery (with or without tamoxifen.)

endometrial thickening while on tamoxifen is very common; endometrial cancer is not--the risk of it with tamox is very low, less than 1%. The thing to watch out for is abnormal heavy bleeding, A yearly transvaginal US is a good idea while on tamox to monitor both the uterine lining and the ovaries. The benefits of tamox (specifically reducing the risk of invasive bc) generally are much greater than the risks, but each person should discuss the risks and benefits for their own situation with their own physician.

anne

Thanks for the good wishes, Seaside! I finally heard from the Gyn office. Will call tomorrow to find out appointment time. I can't thank all you ladies enough! Reading the postings has helped me stay calm and believe I can get through this. I was a basket case last Tuesday after seeing my GP.

Aggiecat52,

I was right there with you "in the basket".  I am going through my big old flurry of 2 year out appointments and, while I was worried about the breast testing, never thought that my GYN appointment would be anything other than routine! 

Wow, was I wrong!  Still thinking this will be nothing!  Will post how things go tomorrow and what the results were when i know them!

Diane

thank you for telling your story-I know that the experts say uterine cancer is 1%, but it seems much > er than 1%. I am scared and I know my chance of reoccurance today is less than 5% but my onco still wants tam. Onc said that they have not had a patient die of uterine cancer. Anway, from pre testing it appears that my endometrium is already slightly thick (6mm). So I am asking for a plan on where I am and what the plan will be. Like everyone, I thought I was done with this all. Stage 1- a bilateral- how much more aggressive do  I need to get? With tam am I trading one set of circumstances for another?

On a positive side- the gym is my new frequent friend, so are several vitamins, and a weight loss plan.....

thanks for sharing

chocolate

Hi gurls - I too had a recent biopsy on thickened endometrium (8 months into TAM) - gyn told me he would use this as "a baseline"- will not be proceeding with any more U/S, as he says there's no point.....!  Should I ask for a yearly biopsy even though it almost knocked me out unconscious ?

At my wits' end with all these doctors !!!!

I took Evista and Tamoxifen, one for 6 months the other not even a year, I had all the side effects under the sun.

Because of fluid in the pelvic area and negative for ovarian cancer, I had an D&C, it was found that a polyp  had burst. My doctor advise was that I did not need an hysterectomy, that can be tricky in my case , if is done with an open incision because I have mesh holding my abdomen.

I was fully aware that I was at higher risk for ovarian and uterine cancer. Unfortunately 2 days later I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma , that is not related to B.C.

Luan,

hope you don't mind me asking but I know I am going to hear how important it is that I have a biopsy-  was your endometrial biopsy very painful?

thanks

chocolate