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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Richard Edwards
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Purpose Tamoxifen is an effective drug, but its role in prevention is limited by its adverse effect profile. Non-life-threatening adverse effects, such as vasomotor symptoms, have an important influence in its use for prevention. Vasomotor symptoms were evaluated according to follow-up time, severity, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in a retrospective analysis. Patients and Methods In the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study-I study, 7,154 women at increased risk of breast cancer were randomly assigned to either tamoxifen 20 mg/d or placebo for 5 years. Women gave detailed information on any vasomotor symptoms at each 6-month follow-up visit. Results Hot flushes were reported more often in the tamoxifen group than in the placebo group (70.6% v 57.1%, respectively; odds ratio, 1.80; 95% Cl, 1.63 to 1.99). Severe hot flushes were more strongly related to tamoxifen. In the tamoxifen arm, more women,taking HRT at entry experienced hot flushes in the first 6 months than those who did not take HRT (60.8% v 49.2%, respectively; P = .09). In contrast, women on placebo taking HRT at entry experienced fewer hot flushes than women who stopped HRT (22.9% v 34.3%, respectively; P = .03). Furthermore, for women who first began HRT in the first 6 months of the trial compared with women who did not begin HRT, HRT seemed to be much more effective in controlling hot flushes in months 6 to 12 in the placebo arm (47.9% v 20.4%, respectively) than in the tamoxifen arm (51.4% v 39.0%, respectively). Conclusion HRT use at entry or during the trial was not effective in alleviating hot flushes for women in the tamoxifen arm. Our retrospective study suggests that estrogen-based HRT has limited effectiveness among women receiving tamoxifen.
Author(s): Sestak I, Kealy R, Edwards R, Forbes J, Cuzick J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Year: 2006
Volume: 24
Issue: 24
Pages: 3991-3996
ISSN (print): 0732-183X
ISSN (electronic): 1527-7755
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.04.3745
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2005.04.3745
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