Abstract
Background: Approximately 2000 American men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Limited data are available evaluating toxicity of antihormonal treatments in male breast cancer patients. Patients and methods: We reviewed male breast cancer patients evaluated at our institution (1999-2009). Of 126 patients, 64 met the following inclusion criteria: stage I-III, treated with tamoxifen, at least one follow-up visit after starting tamoxifen. A descriptive analysis of toxic effects was carried out on these 64 patients. Results: Median follow-up from start of tamoxifen therapy was 3.9 years (range 0.3-19.4 years). Median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range 30-79 years). Breakdown by stage: 29.7% (n = 19) stage I, 54.7% (n = 35) stage II, and 15.6% (n = 10) stage III. Thirty-four (53%) patients experienced one or more toxicity while taking tamoxifen. Most common toxic effects are weight gain (14 patients, 22%) and sexual dysfunction (14 patients, 22%). Thirteen (20.3%) patients discontinued tamoxifen due to toxicity: one ocular, one leg cramps, two neurocognitive deficits, two bone pain, three sexual dysfunction, and four thromboembolic events. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest study examining tamoxifen-related toxic effects among male breast cancer patients. Among male patients, there is a high rate of discontinuation of tamoxifen. Prospective studies of antihormonal agents in male breast cancer are warranted.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1471-1474 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Annals of Oncology |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2012 |
Keywords
- Male breast cancer
- Tamoxifen
- Toxic effects
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
- Oncology
MD Anderson CCSG core facilities
- Biostatistics Resource Group