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Article has an altmetric score of 6

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Referenced in 2 clinical guideline sources
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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI109475

Endocrine Consequences of Continuous Antiestrogen Therapy with Tamoxifen in Premenopausal Women

Barry M. Sherman, Frederick K. Chapler, Kent Crickard, and Dorothy Wycoff

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Find articles by Sherman, B. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Find articles by Chapler, F. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Find articles by Crickard, K. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Find articles by Wycoff, D. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Published August 1, 1979 - More info

Published in Volume 64, Issue 2 on August 1, 1979
J Clin Invest. 1979;64(2):398–404. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI109475.
© 1979 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published August 1, 1979 - Version history
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Abstract

Daily administration of estrogen antagonists to premenopausal women has been incorporated into the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. We have studied the changes in reproductive hormones, pituitary responses to hypothalamic-releasing hormones, and endometrial histology during treatment with the antiestrogen tamoxifen in five healthy, premenopausal women. These studies were carried out during one menstrual cycle before and during two cycles of antiestrogen treatment. All subjects continued to have regular menses with biphasic basal body temperature records. During treatment, estradiol (E2) levels were increased but followed the usual pattern reflecting follicular maturation and corpus luteum formation. The mean E2 concentration at the midcycle peak and during the luteal phase was twice that observed during the non-treatment cycle. By contrast, the concentrations and secretory patterns of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were not greatly changed, and the gonadotropin responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone were not suppressed.

Endometrial biopsies obtained during the follicular phase of control and tamoxifen treatment cycles showed no differences whereas biopsies obtained during the luteal phase of tamoxifen cycles uniformly showed a lack of changes attributed to progesterone action with no progression of histologic changes beyond those expected on day 7-8 of the luteal phase.

These observations are consistent with maturation of multiple ovarian follicles, a surprising finding considering the normal gonadotropin concentrations. The retarded development of the endometrium in the presence of supranormal serum E2 and progesterone concentrations is a morphologic demonstration of the antiprogestational effect of antiestrogens. The lack of gonadotropin suppression in the presence of hyperestrogenemia suggests a major antiestrogen action on the hypothalmus and pituitary gland.

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Referenced in 2 clinical guideline sources
20 readers on Mendeley
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