Serum homocysteine levels in postmenopausal breast cancer patients treatedwith tamoxifen

Adjuvant treatment of breast cancer with tamoxifen may be associated with r educed risk of cardiovascular disease. Serum homocysteine level has been su ggested to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease influenced by estrog enic hormones. We evaluated a subset of postmenopausal women who had partic ipated in a longitudinal, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled toxi city study of tamoxifen 10 mg orally, twice daily. Twenty-seven treated sub jects and 37 placebo subjects had measurements of serum homocysteine levels made on previously frozen samples obtained at baseline and after 12 months . After treatment with tamoxifen, we found lower levels of serum homocystei ne of borderline statistical significance. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd. All rights reserved.