Effect of tamoxifen on serum cholesterol and lipoproteins during chemohormonal therapy
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Published on: June 18, 2015
A M Dnistrian1, M K Schwartz, E J Greenberg
1Department of Clinical Chemistry, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
Abstract:
The effect of tamoxifen on serum cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) and the ratio of LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) was investigated in breast cancer patients undergoing therapy for advanced disease. Longitudinal studies in 24 patients treated with tamoxifen (10 mg, twice daily) indicated average decreases in total serum cholesterol (17%) and LDL-cholesterol (27%), whereas the effect of tamoxifen on HDL-cholesterol varied with the individual patient. There was a significant decrease in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (33%) consistent with a decreased risk for coronary artery disease. This beneficial influence of tamoxifen on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease was evident in both premenopausal and postmenopausal patients whether tamoxifen was administered alone or in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy.
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