Salubrious effect of vitamin C and vitamin E on tamoxifen-treated women inbreast cancer with reference to plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels

Tamoxifen, a non-steroidal antiestrogen, has been used in the hormonal trea tment for breast cancer. The hepatic estrogenic effect of tamoxifen causes severe triglyceridemia. The combined effect of tamoxifen, vitamin C and vit amin E on plasma lipid and lipoprotein is important, since, vitamin C and v itamin E encumbered the lipid abnormalities instigated by tamoxifen. Theref ore supplementation of vitamin C (Celin 500 mg) and vitamin E (Evion 400 mg ) for 90 days along with tamoxifen (10 mg twice a day) to postmenopausal br east cancer patients was ventured. In tamoxifen-treated patients, total cho lesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), phospholipids (PL), free fatty acids (FFA), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels were decreased and the triglycerides (TG), ester cholesterol (EC), high density lipoprotein ch olesterol (HDL) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) levels were increased. Combination therapy reduce all the cholesterol level and VL DL, LDL. TG levels were significantly decreased and HDL, EC levels were sig nificantly increased. These results suggested that tamoxifen treatment is t he most effective during co-administration of vitamin C and vitamin E in th at they reduce the tamoxifen-induced hypertriglyceridemia. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.