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Mammographic changes in women receiving tibolone therapy
Objective:
To investigate the effects of tibolone therapy for menopausal symptoms on mammographic findings and to identify any association between mammographic changes and the demographic and hormonal characteristics of women receiving tibolone.
Design:
A prospective study.
Setting:
A university hospital.
Patient(S):
Seventy-five women who were in the climacteric or postmenopausal period were recruited, and 25 of them were followed up for 24 months.
Intervention(S):
After high-resolution mammographies were performed and blood samples were collected, tibolone (2.5 mg/d) was administered orally to all patients. At the end of the 24-month follow-up period, blood samples were collected again and mammographies were repeated.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Serum levels of LH, FSH, prolactin, estradiol, testosterone, and DHEAS were determined from the collected samples, and mammographies were interpreted.
Result(S):
At the end of the 24-month follow-up period, mammographic changes were observed in only two women (8%). Women who had no change in mammography constituted group I (n = 23). Women who had a change constituted group II (n = 2). Although the initial hormone levels were not different, the increase in serum DHEAS in group I was significantly higher than in group II (z = 2.30, P = 0.021).
Conclusion(S):
The frequency of mammographic changes in women receiving tibolone therapy was found to be 8% at the end of the 24-month follow-up. The serum DHEAS level may be an important hormonal marker complementary to mammographic screening for women receiving tibolone therapy. We strongly believe that tibolone is safe in terms of mammographic changes in postmenopausal women.