[Tamoxifen and endometrial cancer. A case report]

Tamoxifen is an oestrogen antagonist with partial agonistic effects that is used extensively in the treatment of mammary carcinoma. We report a case of an 80 year old woman who was operated on for carcinoma of the mammary gland and developed endometrial carcinoma after ten years of tamoxifen treatment. Tamoxifen has been noted for its reportedly low incidence of side effects. Since 1985, however, several reports have associated tamoxifen with higher risk of endometrial carcinoma. We also review the relevant literature published during the last decade.