There is clear evidence that extended adjuvant tamoxifen therapy for 10 years reduces local recurrence and improves breast cancer-free survival in women with oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. An analysis of large randomized controlled trials, however, reveals that extended use is linked with a two-fold increased risk of developing endometrial (womb) cancer, when compared with standard 5 years of tamoxifen.
While more research is needed, the BJS ( British Journal of Surgery ) findings suggest that screening for endometrial cancer may be warranted in patients who receive extended tamoxifen therapy.
"There is a paucity of clear evidence on how we should best manage endometrial cancer risk in extended tamoxifen therapy. This is a research area that requires immediate focus with expansion of extended tamoxifen therapy regimes," said lead author Dr. Christina Fleming, of St. Vincent's Hospital Group, in Dublin, Ireland.
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BJS