FROM THE BREAST TO THE UTERUS - THE PAST AND THE PRESENT

Discussing whether or not tamoxifen is truly responsible for endometri al side-effects can only be done if we also consider some historical e vents. Long before the introduction of tamoxifen, women with breast ca ncer were known to be at risk for endometrial cancer. Non-steroidal ho rmones to treat; breast cancer and active detection bias added up to t his increased risk. Presently, history seems to repeat itself followin g the introduction of tamoxifen. Putting the whole historical issue in to perspective, experimental models showing tamoxifen to be inhibitory in breast cancer tissue and stimulatory in endometrial cancer tissue led to well-designed clinical trials confirming tamoxifen's stimulator y effect upon the endometrium. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.