Uterine pathologies in patients undergoing tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer: ultrasonographic, hysteroscopic and histological findings

Purpose of investigation: To evaluate endometrial abnormalities by ultrasonography, hysteroscopy and biopsy in postmenopausal patients treated with tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.

Methods: The study was carried out on 113 patients who underwent vaginal ultrasonography, hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy.

Results: There was a significative relation between ultrasonographic and hysteroscopic features (p < 0.001); 58 polyps were diagnosed at hysteroscopy, although 35 were not found at ultrasonography. A significant relation between ultrasonographic and histological findings was also documented (p < 0.005). A significant relation between histological findings and symptomatology was found (p < 0.05), although pathologies were also present in asymptomatic women.

Conclusions: These results show that long-term tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients is associated with a higher incidence of uterine pathology. No significant relation has been documented between duration of treatment and grade of endometrial lesion (p > 0.05). Ultrasonography alone is useful in asymptomatic patients because it selects patients with increased endometrial thickness who should undergo hysteroscopy. Hysteroscopy is more accurate in detecting polyps, hyperplastic and neoplastic changes. Asymptomatic tamoxifen treated women should be evaluated as symptomatic patients.

Breast cancer; Tamoxifen; Transvaginal ultrasound; Hysteroscopy; Endometrial cancer

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