1. Determination of tamoxifen and its metabolites in endometrial tissue of long-term treated women
- Author
-
Carlo Scarabelli, Andrea Veronesi, M. D. Magri, Diana Crivellari, Mario Furlanut, Giorgio Giorda, and Loretta Franceschi
- Subjects
Cancer Research ,medicine.medical_specialty ,urogenital system ,Metabolite ,Mammary gland ,Biology ,Endometrium ,medicine.disease ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,Breast cancer ,Oncology ,chemistry ,Pharmacokinetics ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Endometrial Polyp ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Receptor ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists ,Tamoxifen ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Concentrations of tamoxifen and its metabolites were analysed in the endometrium of 23 post-menopausal asymptomatic breast cancer patients who were on chronic tamoxifen therapy. Small endometrial samples were collected during diagnostic hysteroscopy. Analysis of both serum and tissue for these compounds was performed by mass spectrometry. Tamoxifen and its metabolites were far more concentrated in the endometrium than in serum; tamoxifen was also significantly more concentrated in endometrium with hyperplastic changes than in atrophic endometrium. Endometrial polyps of an additional 9 women showed a trend to a lesser concentration of compounds. Increased concentration of tamoxifen compounds could possibly be explained by the avidity of these compounds for oestrogen receptors (ER).
- Published
- 2000