The association between tamoxifen and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma: Case report and literature review

Tamoxifen has become one of the most widely used drugs in the treatment of breast cancer, and concerns about its long-term safety and efficacy are bei ng raised. Investigations in rats have suggested an association between the administration of tamoxifen and the development of hepatocellular carcinom a. However, no studies to date have demonstrated an increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in women treated with tamoxifen, In the case repor ted, a 56-year-old woman presented with hepatocellular tumours after 6 pear s of tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer. The patient had no other risk fac tors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. She underwent success ful resection of the lesions, and subsequent pathological studies confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma with a trabecular growth pattern similar to the h istologic pattern seen in tamoxifen-induced hepatocellular carcinoma occurr ing in rat models.