TIME-DEPENDENT EFFECT OF TAMOXIFEN THERAPY ON ENDOMETRIAL PATHOLOGY IN ASYMPTOMATIC POSTMENOPAUSAL BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

Various endometrial lesions were more frequent among asymptomatic post menopausal breast cancer patients who were treated with tamoxifen for >48 consecutive months (30.8%) when compared with similar patients who were treated for 6-24 months or for 25-48 months (20.8% and 12.5%, re spectively). However, this difference was not statistically significan t. There were also no significant differences in the frequency of the various endometrial lesions between these three groups, although endom etrial polyps were more frequently found among those treated for >48 m onths. Overall, 20.7% of the 164 tamoxifen-treated patients in the stu dy had an endometrial pathology. It can be concluded that there is a s light tendency among those postmenopausal patients who have been treat ed for >48 consecutive months to have a higher frequency of endometria l lesions.