Tamoxifen&vaginal bleeding

My mother has been taking Tamoxifen for nearly five years after being breast cancer diagnosed. Now she's having vaginal bleeding after curretage and the histology showed that there are not signs of malignancy. She was told by her previous doctor to stop taking Tamoxifen for 15 days before the curretage, otherwise she would get vaginal bleeding. The doctor, who did the procedure forbade her stopping Tamoxifen taking! Who we should believe and what might be the reason of the fast growing endometrium and the vaginal bleeds?

Boriana

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

Tamoxifen can cause an abnormal growth of uterine tissue that can give the patient a tendency to have bleeding.  Tamoxifen also, carries a very small but significant risk of developing endometrial cancer due to the same mechanism of endometrial lining proliferation.  That's why, women on tamoxifen are usually monitored with transvaginal ultrasound to measure the thickness of the endometrial lining, and also to undergo curettage if the thickness is significant.  The decision to stop or continue tamoxifen should be discussed with your doctors/oncologist.  If it is almost 5 years, then it may be OK to already stop taking it since the benefit may already have reached, and the risks and side-effects avoided.  Again, this should be discussed well.

Regards and God bless.