Resumption of Menses with Initiation of Letrozole After Five Years of Amenorrhea on Tamoxifen: Caution Needed When Using Tamoxifen Followed by Aromatase Inhibitors
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Cancer Investigation
- Vol. 24 (2) , 174-177
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07357900500524538
Abstract
Randomized trials in postmenopausal women have shown a benefit to substituting aromatase inhibitors for tamoxifen or using them sequentially following a full course of tamoxifen. The aromatase inhibitor letrozole has also been utilized for ovarian induction in premenopausal women. A premenopausal woman with early stage breast cancer became amenorrheic with adjuvant chemotherapy, and remained so during 5 years of daily tamoxifen. After discontinuing tamoxifen, laboratory studies confirmed an apparent postmenopausal state. Menses resumed following a 2-week course of letrozole. Aromatase inhibitors need to be used with caution in women who stop menstruating following adjuvant chemotherapy or tamoxifen.Keywords
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