Tamoxifen induced endometrial cancer.

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MichelleT
MichelleT Member Posts: 40
edited June 2014 in Second or Third Breast Cancer
Tamoxifen induced endometrial cancer.
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  • MichelleT
    MichelleT Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2007

    Hello, I hope I have posted this in the right place!  I was wondering if anyone could give me any information on endometrial cancer caused by tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer.....  I was wondering what the treatment would be? Has anyone had this, I know they say the % are low but would be grateful for any info you can share.....   Thankyou

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  • Member_of_the_Club
    Member_of_the_Club Member Posts: 3,646
    edited December 2007

    Have you been diagnosed or are you just concerned?



    In the old days when they first started using tamoxifen, it was prescribed at higher doses and for longer periods of time than today and as a result there were more cases of endometrial cancer. I have heard of two cases of post-tamoxifen endometrial cancer and in both cases the women took tamoxifen for much longer periods of time than 5 years. I'm not saying it isn't a risk, but I believe it is a much lower risk today.



    I don't know about treatment but I know my gyno has me do a transvaginal ultrasound every two years so if there is a problem it would be caught early, hopefully.

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  • MtnMama
    MtnMama Member Posts: 133
    edited December 2007

    My step-mother had endometrial cancer 11 years ago and the treatment was a hysterectomy.  My onc says that endometrial cancer is typically found early by (non-menstral-related) bleeding.  That is how my step-mom was diagnosed.  That encouraged me that the danger associated with a recurrence of breast cancer is much greater than a primary endometrial cancer occurence.

    I asked my onc if I should have a prophylactic hysterectomy since I was going on Tamox, and she didn't think it was warranted.

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  • MichelleT
    MichelleT Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2007

    Thanks, it's all a bit daunting at the moment :(  not too sure what is to happen yet.  Hugs to you both and thankyou.

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  • chemo072
    chemo072 Member Posts: 682
    edited December 2007

    Mtn mama - did the hysterectomy get the cancer out?  My mom had DCIS 8 years ago, and was recently diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (pre cancerous) so is having a hysterectomy.  She'd had post-menopausal bleeding.  I asked her how long she known something was wrong before seeking the right treatment, and she said a year and a half.  So I have a bad feeling about what the docs will find when they go in for surgery.... sigh....

    and she did take tamoxifen for a few years pre-DCIS but had bad side effects and eventually stopped.  Clearly it didn't stop the DCIS.

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