Switching of hormone therapies in breast cancer women / Avaliação da mudança do esquema hormonioterápico em mulheres com câncer de mama

Abstract Objective The objective of the present study was to analyze the reasons that led to hormone therapies (HTs) regimen changes in women with breast cancer. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study from a single-institution Brazilian cancer center with patient records diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2012 and January 2017. Results From 1,555 women who were in treatment with HT, 213 (13.7%) women had HT switched, either tamoxifen to anastrozole or vice-versa. Most women included in the present study who switched HT were > 50 years old, postmenopausal, Caucasian, and had at least one comorbidity. From the group with therapy change, 'disease progression' was reason of change in 124 (58.2%) cases, and in 65 (30.5%) patients, 'presence of side effects' was the reason. From those women who suffered with side effects, 24 (36.9%) had comorbidities. Conclusion The present study demonstrated a low rate of HT switch of tamoxifen to anastrozole. Among the reasons for changing therapy, the most common was disease progression, which includes cancer recurrence, metastasis or increased tumor. Side effects were second; furthermore, age and comorbidities are risk factors for side effects.

Resumo Objetivo O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar os motivos que levaram às mudanças no esquema hormonioterápico (HT) em mulheres com câncer de mama. Métodos Estudo transversal retrospectivo realizado no Hospital da Mulher de Campinas e consequente pesquisa de prontuários de mulheres diagnosticados com câncer de mama entre janeiro de 2012 e janeiro de 2017. Resultados De 1.555 mulheres em tratamento com HT, 213 (13,7%) mulheres tiveram HT alterado, tamoxifeno para anastrozol ou vice-versa. A maioria das mulheres incluídas no presente estudo que tiveram mudança de HT tinha > 50 anos, estava na pós-menopausa, era caucasiana e tinha pelo menos uma comorbidade. Os principais motivos de troca de HT foram devido a 'progressão da doença', ocorrendo em 124 (58,2%) casos e a 'presença de efeitos colaterais' (n = 65; 30,5%). Das mulheres que sofreram efeitos colaterais, 24 (36,9%) apresentaram comorbidades. Conclusão O presente estudo demonstrou uma baixa taxa na alteração de tamoxifeno para anastrozol. Entre as razõesmais comuns para alterar a HT estava a progressão da doença, que inclui recorrência do câncer, metástase ou aumento do tumor. Os efeitos colaterais foram a segunda causa e, além disso, a idade e as comorbidades foram fatores de risco para efeitos colaterais.

Urinary incontinence and overactive bladder symptoms in women with breast cancer being treated with oral hormone therapy / Incontinência urinária e sintomas de bexiga hiperativa em mulheres com câncer de mama em tratamento com terapia hormonal oral

Abstract Objective: The objective of the present study is to observe the frequency and severity of urinary symptoms in women with breast cancer (BC) being treated with oral hormone therapy, associating them to drug adherence. Methods: The participants were interviewed once from June to October 2016. The evaluation of urinary symptoms was performed by two questionnaires: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder Module (ICIQ-OAB). Adherence was evaluated by the Morisky-Green method. Statistical analysis was performed by the Mann-Whitney test, linear regression, and Spearman correlation. Results: Fifty-eight women were interviewed: 42 treated with tamoxifen and 16 with aromatase inhibitor. Twenty-seven women (46.5%) presented urinary incontinence symptoms and 15 (25.8%) presented stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Fourteen (24.1%) women had symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB). There was no statistical difference in symptoms between both treatments and duration of treatments. Higher scores in the ICIQ-SF questionnaire were associated with low/medium adherence and advanced age. Higher scores in the ICIQ-OAB questionnaire were associated with low/medium adherence. Conclusion: The present study showed a high prevalence of urinary symptoms, such as urinary incontinence and OAB, associated with low/medium adherence and older age in women with BC being treated with oral hormone therapy. Health professionals should be alert to these symptoms since it could influence life quality and adherence to treatment.

Resumo Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi observar a frequência e a gravidade dos sintomas urinários em mulheres com câncer de mama em uso de terapia hormonal oral, associando estes com a adesão ao tratamento. Métodos: As pacientes foram entrevistadas uma única vez, entre junho e outubro de 2016. A avaliação dos sintomas urinários foi realizada por dois questionários: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF, na sigla em inglês) e o Questionário Sobre Bexiga Hiperativa (ICIQ-OAB, na sigla em inglês). A adesão foi avaliada pelo método Morisky-Green. A análise estatística foi realizada pelo teste de Mann-Whitney, regressão linear e correlação de Spearman. Resultados: Foram entrevistadas 58 mulheres: 42 tratadas com tamoxifeno e 16 com inibidor de aromatase. Vinte e sete mulheres (46,5%) apresentaram sintomas de incontinência urinária (IU) e 15 (25,8%) apresentaram incontinência urinária por estresse (IUS). Quatorze (24,1%) das mulheres tinham sintomas de bexiga hiperativa. Não houve diferença estatística nos sintomas entre os tratamentos e a duração dos tratamentos. Os escores mais elevados no questionário ICIQ-SF estiveram associados à baixa/média adesão e à idade avançada. Os escores mais elevados no questionário da ICIQ-OAB foram associados à baixa/média adesão. Conclusão: O presente estudo mostrou alta prevalência de sintomas urinários, como IU e bexiga hiperativa, associadas à baixa/média adesão e à idade mais avançada em mulheres com câncer de mama em tratamento com hormonioterapia oral. Os profissionais de saúde devem estar atentos a esses sintomas, pois eles podem influenciar a qualidade de vida e a adesão ao tratamento.

Caracterización de incontinencia urinaria en mujeres premenopáusicas con cáncer de mama en tratamiento con tamoxifeno por cinco años en el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer / Characterization of urinary incontinence in pre-menopausal women with breast cancer treated with tamoxifen for 5 years at the National Cancer Institute

INTRODUCCIÓN El cáncer de mama es el tipo de cáncer que se diagnostica con mayor frecuencia en mujeres y la segunda causa más común de muerte por cáncer en este género. Dentro de las indicaciones de tratamiento, se encuentran: cirugía, radioterapia, quimioterapia y terapia endocrina. Esta última se basa en el uso de tamoxifeno, cuyo uso de forma prolongada puede producir efectos secundarios como sequedad vaginal, ardor, irritación, picazón, disuria, incontinencia urinaria, entre otros OBJETIVO Caracterizar la incontinencia urinaria en mujeres premenopáusicas con cáncer de mama en tratamiento con tamoxifeno por 5 años en el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer MATERIAL Y MÉTODO Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Se incluyeron mujeres diagnosticadas con cáncer de mama inscritas y tratadas en el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer. Se aplicó cuestionario ICIQ ­SF a la población de estudio con el fin de caracterizar la presencia de incontinencia urinaria. Además, se calculó la proporción entre mujeres con incontinencia urinaria y nuliparidad/mujeres con incontinencia urinaria y paridad RESULTADOS Se evaluaron 15 pacientes. 93,33% presentaron incontinencia urinaria. El promedio de edad de mujeres con incontinencia urinaria fue de 51,21 (± 4,74) años. La razón de mujeres con nuliparidad/con paridad fue de 4:15 CONCLUSIÓN 99,33% de las pacientes presentaron incontinencia urinaria. Los resultados entregados en este estudio deben ser considerados como un elemento que contribuya a detectar la magnitud del problema en la población inscrita y tratada en el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the type of cancer diagnosed most frequently in women, and the second most common cause of death from cancer in this gender. Within the indications of treatment, they are: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. The last is based on the use of tamoxifen, whose prolonged use can produce side effects such as vaginal dryness, burning, irritation, itching, dysuria, urinary incontinence, among others OBJECTIVE To characterize urinary incontinence in pre-menopausal women with breast cancer treated with tamoxifen for 5 years at the Instituto Nacional del Cáncer MATERIAL AND METHOD Descriptive cross-sectional study. We included women diagnosed with breast cancer enrolled and treated at the Instituto Nacional del Cáncer. The ICIQ -SF questionnaire was applied to the study population to characterize the presence of urinary incontinence. In addition, the proportion between women with urinary incontinence and nulliparity / women with urinary incontinence and parity was calculated RESULTS 93,33% presented urinary incontinence. The average age of women with urinary incontinence was 51,21 (± 4,74) years. The ratio of women with nulliparity / with parity was 4:15 CONCLUSION 99,33% of the patients presented urinary incontinence. The results delivered in this study should be considered as one element that helps to detect the magnitude of this problem in the population registered and treated in the Instituto Nacional del Cáncer. Keywords:

Therapeutic options for management of endometrial hyperplasia / 부인종양

Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) comprises a spectrum of changes in the endometrium ranging from a slightly disordered pattern that exaggerates the alterations seen in the late proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle to irregular, hyperchromatic lesions that are similar to endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Generally, EH is caused by continuous exposure of estrogen unopposed by progesterone, polycystic ovary syndrome, tamoxifen, or hormone replacement therapy. Since it can progress, or often occur coincidentally with endometrial carcinoma, EH is of clinical importance, and the reversion of hyperplasia to normal endometrium represents the key conservative treatment for prevention of the development of adenocarcinoma. Presently, cyclic progestin or hysterectomy constitutes the major treatment option for EH without or with atypia, respectively. However, clinical trials of hormonal therapies and definitive standard treatments remain to be established for the management of EH. Moreover, therapeutic options for EH patients who wish to preserve fertility are challenging and require nonsurgical management. Therefore, future studies should focus on evaluation of new treatment strategies and novel compounds that could simultaneously target pathways involved in the pathogenesis of estradiol-induced EH. Novel therapeutic agents precisely targeting the inhibition of estrogen receptor, growth factor receptors, and signal transduction pathways are likely to constitute an optimal approach for treatment of EH.

Cambios en la densidad mineral ósea en pacientes que reciben terapia de deprivación androgénica para el cáncer de próstata / Changes in bone mineral density in patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer

Introducción: el cáncer de próstata (CP) es el tumor maligno más frecuente en hombres en Uruguay. La terapia de deprivación androgénica (TDA) es una herramienta valiosa para su tratamiento. Si bien es altamente eficaz, este tratamiento tiene diversos efectos no deseados, entre los que se encuentra la disminución de la densidad mineral ósea. Material y método: realizamos un estudio longitudinal, observacional y prospectivo cuyo objetivo fue determinar si existe disminución de la densidad mineral ósea en los pacientes que reciben TDA para el CP. Se incluyeron pacientes portadores de CP en cualquier estadio que iniciarían tratamiento con TDA en el Servicio de Oncología del Hospital de Clínicas de Montevideo, Uruguay, en el período setiembre de 2012 a agosto de 2013, en quienes se realizó una densitometría ósea (DMO) previo al inicio de la TDA (DMO1) y se repitió a los seis meses de recibir la primera dosis de tratamiento hormonal (DMO2). Para cada región analizada se compararon las medias de densidad ósea medida en g/cm2 en la DMO1 vs DMO2. Resultados: se hizo seguimiento a diez pacientes con una edad mediana de 77 años. Se observó disminución significativa de la densidad mineral ósea en vértebras L3 y L4 (L3: 1.268 g/cm2 a 1.225 g/cm2 p=0,01; L4: 1.247 g/cm2 a 1.227g/cm2 p=0,005), mientras que en los otros puntos evaluados (L1, L2, cuello de fémur y cadera total) también hubo una disminución pero sin alcanzar significancia estadística. Conclusiones: confirmamos que la TDA disminuye la densidad mineral ósea por lo menos en vértebras lumbares 3 y 4 en un relativamente corto plazo (seis meses). Este efecto adverso debe evaluarse, identificarse y prevenirse oportunamente para evitar complicaciones mayores.

Abstract Introduction: prostate cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor in men in Uruguay. Androgenic deprivation therapy (ADT) is a valuable tool to treat this condition. In spite of it being highly effective, this treatment has several non-desirable effects, a reduction in bone mineral density being among them. Material: we conducted a longitudinal, observational and prospective study whose objective was to determine whether there is a reduction in bone mineral density in patients who receive ADT for prostate cancer. Patients who were carriers of prostate cancer undergoing any stage who would start their ADT treatment at the Oncology Unit of the University Hospital of Montevideo from September 2012 through August 2013 were included in the study. All of them underwent a bone densitometry prior to the initiation of ADT (BD1) treatment and it was repeated six months after they received the first dose of hormone treatment (BD2). Measurements of bone density were compared for every region analysed in g/ cm2 in BD1 versus BD2. Results: Ten patients with an average age of 77 years old were followed-up. A significant reduction in bone mineral density was observed in the L3-L4 spinal segment (L3: 1.268 g/cm2 at 1.225 g/cm2 p=0.01; L4: 1.247g/cm2 at 1.227g/cm2 p=0.005), whereas in the other points assessed (L1, L2, femoral neck and total hip) there was a reduction as well, although it did not represent any statistical significance. Conclusions: we confirmed ADT reduces the bone mineral density in lumbar vertebrae L3 and L4 in a relatively short time (six minths). This negative effect needs to be timely assessed, identified and prevented to avoid greater complications.

Resumo Introdução: o câncer de próstata (CP) é o tumor maligno mais frequente em homens no Uruguai. A terapia de deprivação androgênica (TDA) é uma ferramenta valiosa para seu tratamento. Embora seja altamente eficaz, este tratamento apresenta diversos efeitos não desejados, entre eles a diminuição da densidade mineral óssea. Material e método: realizamos um estudo longitudinal, observacional e prospectivo cujo objetivo foi detectar uma possível redução da densidade mineral óssea em pacientes que recebem TDA para CP. Foram incluídos pacientes portadores de CP em qualquer estadio que iniciaram tratamento com TDA no Serviço de Oncologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Montevidéu, Uruguai, no período setembro de 2012 a agosto de 2013; antes do inicio do tratamento foi realizada una densitometria óssea (DMO1) e uma segunda seis meses depois da primeira dose de tratamento hormonal (DMO2). Para cada região analisada foram comparadas as medias de densidade óssea medida en g/cm2 na DM1 versus DMO2. Resultados: dez pacientes com um mediana de idade de 77 anos foram estudados. Observamos uma diminuição significativa da densidade mineral óssea nas vértebras L3 e L4 (L3: 1.268 g/cm2 a 1.225 g/cm2 p=0,01; L4: 1.247g/cm2 a 1.227g/cm2 p=0,005); em outros pontos avaliados (L1, L2, colo de fêmur e quadril total) também houve diminuição porém não era estatisticamente significativa. Conclusões: confirmamos que a TDA diminui a densidade mineral óssea pelo menos nas vértebras lombares 3 e 4 em um prazo relativamente curto (seis meses). Este efeito adverso deve ser avaliado, identificado e prevenido oportunamente para evitar maiores complicações.

Assessment of Breast Cancer Patients' Knowledge and Decisional Conflict Regarding Tamoxifen Use

Breast cancer is the most common type of female cancer. Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, is widely used to decrease breast cancer recurrence and mortality among patients. However, it also increases the risk of endometrial cancer. This study aimed to assess knowledge and decisional conflict regarding tamoxifen use. Between June and October 2014, breast cancer patients using tamoxifen were consecutively screened and requested to complete a survey including the EQ-5D, Satisfaction with Decision Scale (SWD), Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), and a self-developed, 15-item questionnaire measuring tamoxifen-related knowledge. The study sample comprised 299 patients. The mean total knowledge score was 63.4 of a possible 100.0 (range, 13.3-93.3). While 73.9% of the participants knew that tamoxifen reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence, only 57.9% knew that the drug increases endometrial cancer risk. A higher education level (> or =college) was associated with a higher, total knowledge score (beta = 4.291; P = 0.017). A higher knowledge score was associated with a decreased DCS score (beta = -0.366; P < 0.001). A higher SWD score was also associated with decreased decisional conflict (beta = -0.178; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the breast cancer patients with higher levels of tamoxifen-related knowledge showed lower levels of decisional conflict regarding tamoxifen use. Clinicians should provide the exact information about tamoxifen treatment to patients, based on knowledge assessment results, so as to aid patients' decision-making with minimal conflict.

A review of continuous vs intermittent androgen deprivation therapy: Redefining the gold standard in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Myths, facts and new data on a perpetual dispute / Editorial Comment

Objectives: To review the literature and present new data of continuous androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) vs intermittent androgen deprivation (IAD) as therapies for prostate cancer in terms of survival and quality of life and clarify practical issues in the use of IAD. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search on Medline and Embase databases using “prostatic neoplasm” and “intermittent androgen deprivation” as search terms. We reviewed meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials, reviews, clinical trials and practise guidelines written in English from 2000 and onwards until 01/04/2013. Ten randomized controlled trials were identified. Seven of them published extensive data and results randomizing 4675 patients to IAD versus CAD. Data from the other three randomized trials were limited. Results: Over the last years studies confirmed that IAD is an effective alternative approach to hormonal deprivation providing simultaneously several potential benefits in terms of quality of life and cost effectiveness. Thus, in patients with non metastatic, advanced prostate cancer IAD could be used as standard treatment, while in metastatic prostate cancer IAD role still remains ambiguous. Conclusions: Nowadays, revaluation of the gold standard of ADT in advanced prostate cancer appears essential. Recent data established that IAD should no longer be considered as investigational, since its effectiveness has been proven, especially in patients suffering from non-metastatic advanced prostate cancer. .

Riscos cardiovasculares do bloqueio androgênico / Cardiovascular risks of androgen deprivation therapy / Riesgos cardiovasculares del bloqueo androgénico

O adenocarcinoma de próstata é o câncer mais comum no sexo masculino após o câncer de pele. Entre as várias formas de tratamento do câncer de próstata, a terapia de bloqueio androgênico é uma modalidade consagrada nos pacientes com doença metastática ou localmente avançada, que provavelmente resulta em aumento de sobrevida. No entanto, o bloqueio androgênico é causador de uma série de consequências adversas. Complicações como osteoporose, disfunção sexual, ginecomastia, anemia e alterações na composição corporal são bem conhecidas. Recentemente, uma série de complicações metabólicas foi descrita como aumento da circunferência abdominal, resistência à insulina, hiperglicemia, diabete, dislipidemia e síndrome metabólica com consequente aumento do risco de eventos coronarianos e mortalidade cardiovascular nessa população específica. Este artigo de atualização apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica realizada no MEDLINE de toda literatura publicada em inglês no período de 1966 até junho de 2009, com as seguintes palavras-chave: androgen deprivation therapy, androgen supression therapy, hormone treatment, prostate cancer, metabolic syndrome e cardiovascular disease, no intuito de analisar quais seriam os reais riscos cardiovasculares da terapia de deprivação androgênica, também chamada bloqueio androgênico, nos pacientes com câncer de próstata.

El adenocarcinoma de próstata es el cáncer más común en el sexo masculino después del cáncer de piel. Entre las varias formas de tratamiento del cáncer de próstata, la terapia de bloqueo androgénico es una modalidad consagrada en los pacientes con enfermedad metastásica o localmente avanzada, que probablemente resulta en aumento de sobrevida. Mientras tanto, el bloqueo androgénico es causante de una serie de consecuencias adversas. Complicaciones como osteoporosis, disfunción sexual, ginecomastia, anemia y alteraciones en la composición corporal son bien conocidas. Recientemente, una serie de complicaciones metabólicas fue descripta como aumento de la circunferencia abdominal, resistencia a la insulina, hiperglicemia, diabetes, dislipidemia y síndrome metabólico con consecuente aumento del riesgo de eventos coronarios y mortalidad cardiovascular en esa población específica. Este artículo de actualización presenta una revisión bibliográfica realizada en el MEDLINE de toda literatura publicada en inglés en el período de 1966 hasta junio de 2009, con las siguientes palabras-clave: androgen deprivation therapy, androgen supression therapy, hormone treatment, prostate cancer, metabolic syndrome y cardiovascular disease, con el propósito de analizar cuales serían los reales riesgos cardiovasculares de la terapia de deprivación androgénica, también llamada bloqueo androgénico, en los pacientes con cáncer de próstata.

Prostate adenocarcinoma is the most common cancer type in the male sex after skin cancer. Among the several types of treatment for prostate cancer, the androgen deprivation therapy has been highly recommended in patients with metastatic or locally advanced disease, which probably results in increased survival. However, the androgen deprivation is the cause of several adverse effects. Complications such as osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction, gynecomastia, anemia and body composition alterations are well-known effects of the therapy. Recently, a number of metabolic complications have been described, such as increase in the abdominal circumference, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, diabetes, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome, with a consequent increase in the risk of coronary events and cardiovascular mortality in this specific population. This update article presents a literature review carried out at MEDLINE database of all literature published in English from 1966 to June 2009, using the following key words: androgen deprivation therapy, androgen suppression therapy, hormone treatment, prostate cancer, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, with the objective of analyzing which would be the actual cardiovascular risks of androgen deprivation therapy, also called androgen suppression, in patients with prostate cancer.

value of transvaginal ultrasonography in the endometrial evaluation of breast cancer patients using tamoxifen

To estimate the value of transvaginal ultrasonography [TVU] in evaluating the endometrium in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen, and to investigate the relationship between TVU and histologic endometrial findings in these patients. 107 breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen were included in this study. TVU was performed twice for each patient: prior to starting tamoxifen therapy and 1 year after taking tamoxifen. An endometrial thickness of >5 mm was considered abnormal. Endometrial biopsy was performed at the same time the 2nd TVU was done. The patients were divided into 2 groups: symptomatic [group A] and asymptomatic [group B], based on whether or not there was abnormal vaginal bleeding. 31 patients [29%] were symptomatic, while the remaining 76 [71%] were asymptomatic. The endometrial thickness increased after 1 year of taking tamoxifen from 4.84 +/- 0.4 mm to 6.34 +/- 2.1 mm in group A and from 4.73 +/- 0.3 mm to 5.67 +/- 1.95 mm in group B [p > 0.05]. Endometrial biopsy revealed 77 [71.96%] atrophic endometria and 21 [19.62%] polyps. A comparison between the 2 groups showed a significant difference in patients with endometrial atrophy and atypical hyperplasia. Patients who had an endometrial thickness of >5 mm had a significantly higher prevalence of atypical hyperplasia [p = 0.003] and polyps [p = 0.041]. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of TVU were 63.3, 28.57, 25.67 and 66.66%, respectively. Our study showed a discrepancy between TVU and endometrial biopsy findings, due to the specific histology of the endometrium in breast cancer patients using tamoxifen. Due to this discrepancy, TVU alone is not an effective screening test for endometrial pathology and its application alone might lead to an undesirably high frequency of invasive diagnostic procedures

Tamoxifen use and gallstone formation in postmenopausal breast cancer patients in south Indian population.

BACKGROUND: Tamoxifen is being used in patients with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer as an adjuvant or palliative hormonal therapy. w0 estern studies have found a 30% incidence of gallstones in patients who are taking Tamoxifen and they have proved a significant association between the two. OBJECTIVES : The objective of the study was to find out the association of Tamoxifen use and gallstone formation in postmenopausal breast cancer patients in a South Indian population. METHODS: Ninety patients who had undergone surgery for invasive breast cancer in our institute, and were receiving adjuvant Tamoxifen, were recruited for the study. An equal number of age-matched postmenopausal women were taken as controls. All of them underwent an abdominal ultrasound screening test for gallstones. Presence or absence of gallstones was noted down from their ultrasound scan reports. Pretreatment status of the gall bladder was assessed from the preoperative scan reports. RESULTS: An odds ratio of 1 was derived when the case group was compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we could not establish that an association existed between Tamoxifen use and gallstone formation in postmenopausal South Indian women.

Avaliação do metabolismo da glicose em pacientes acromegálicos antes e após tratamento com octreotide LAR / Evaluation of glucose metabolism in acromegalic patients before and after treatment with octreotide LAR

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o metabolismo da glicose em pacientes acromegálicos antes e após o tratamento com octreotide LAR. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Este foi um estudo longitudinal e prospectivo com 30 pacientes do ambulatório de pesquisa em acromegalia do Serviço de Endocrinologia do Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (HUCFF/UFRJ). Eles foram submetidos à avaliação clínica e laboratorial com dosagens de hormônio do crescimento (GH), fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina tipo I (IGF-I), insulina, pró-insulina, peptídeo C, hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c), proteína de ligação do IGF tipo 1 (IGFBP-1) e a um teste oral de tolerância à glicose (TOTG), antes e após seis meses de tratamento com octreotide LAR. Foi aplicado o teste dos postos sinalizados de Wilcoxon e o critério de determinação de significância adotado foi o nível de 5 por cento. RESULTADOS: Encontraram-se 16 pacientes (54 por cento) com tolerância normal à glicose, sete (23 por cento) com intolerância à glicose e sete (23 por cento) com diabetes melito (DM). Doze pacientes completaram os seis meses de tratamento, sendo que houve piora da tolerância à glicose em três e piora do controle glicêmico dos dois pacientes diabéticos. Houve aumento da circunferência abdominal (p = 0,03) e queda do GH (p = 0,04), por cento IGF-I acima do limite superior do valor de referência ( por centoLSVR) (p = 0,001), insulina (p = 0,019), peptídeo C (p = 0,002) e do modelo de avaliação homeostática (HOMA-IR) (p = 0,039). CONCLUSÕES: Nesta série, o tratamento com octreotide LAR acarretou piora da tolerância à glicose em três pacientes não-diabéticos e piora do controle glicêmico em dois diabéticos, apesar da diminuição da resistência insulínica (RI).

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the glucose metabolism in acromegalic patients before and after treatment with octreotide LAR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective and longitudinal study involving 30 patients from the acromegaly research outpatient clinic of the Endocrinology unit of the HUCFF/UFRJ. They underwent clinical and laboratorial evaluations, with measurements of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-I), insulin, proinsulin, C peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), IGF binding protein type 1 (IGFBP-1) and glucose, during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), before and after six months of treatment with octreotide LAR. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used and values of 5 percent were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We found 16 (54 percent) patients with normal glucose tolerance, 7 (23 percent) with impaired glucose tolerance and 7 (23 percent) diabetics. Twelve patients completed the six-month treatment, out of which three showed worsening of glucose tolerance and two (diabetics) had worse blood glucose control. Whereas there was an increase in waist circumference (p=0.03), there was a decrease in GH (p=0.04), with percentIGF-I above the upper limit of reference values ( percent ULRV) [p=0.001], insulin (p=0.019), C peptide levels (p=0.002) and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) [p=0.039]. CONCLUSIONS: In this series, treatment with octreotide LAR led to a worsening of glucose tolerance in three non-diabetic patients and worsened glycemic control in two diabetics, in spite of reducing insulin resistance.

Octreotide-LAR-associated erythema multiforme in an acromegalic subject: case report

Long-acting somatostatin analogs are often used for treating acromegaly, either as adjuvant to surgery or radiotherapy or, more recently, as a primary therapeutic option. These drugs seem to be reasonably safe, but new adverse effects not yet described may occur during the use of the relatively new long-acting formulations. In this case report, we describe a severe cutaneous reaction (erythema multiforme) in a patient treated with long-acting release (LAR) octreotide, and also discuss the need of previous "testing" with short subcutaneous preparation of octreotide.

Análogos da somatostatina de longa duração são freqüentemente usados no tratamento da acromegalia, como adjuvante à cirurgia ou à radioterapia ou, mais recentemente, como opção terapêutica primária. Essas drogas parecem ser razoavelmente seguras, mas podem ocorrer feitos colaterais ainda não descritos com o uso das relativamente novas formulações de ação prolongada. Neste relato de caso, descrevemos uma reação cutânea grave (eritema multiforme) em uma paciente tratada com octreotide de liberação prolongada (LAR) e discutimos a necessidade de submeter os pacientes previamente a um "teste" com a formulação subcutânea do octreotide de ação rápida.

Toxicidade ocular por tamoxifeno / Ocular toxicity by tamoxifen use

O tamoxifeno é um modulador seletivo dos receptores de estrogênio, sendo considerado uma das principais drogas utilizadas no tratamento do câncer de mama. A despeito do comprovado benefício de sua utilização, diversos efeitos adversos têm sido relacionados a ele, como o câncer de endométrio, fenômenos tromboembólicos, sarcomas uterinos e toxicidade ocular. Neste artigo de revisão, descrevemos as principais alterações oculares relacionadas ao uso do tamoxifeno, suas características e o diagnóstico diferencial. Em decorrência da freqüência com que ocorre a toxicidade ocular, chamamos atenção para a avaliação quanto ao acompanhamento periódico das pacientes sob uso desta medicação, sendo por vezes necessária à interrupção da medicação e sua substituição por drogas de outros grupos terapêuticos visando à preservação visual dessas pacientes.

Interaction between warfarin and tamoxifen: a case report.

Warfarin is a commonly used anticoagulant with documented reports of drug interactions. Tamoxifen is used in the adjuvant hormonal treatment of women with oestrogen-receptor- positive breast cancer. Warfarin and tamoxifen are known to interact with each other with a resultant increase in the bleeding tendency. These reports are mainly from the white population. We report a case of drug interaction between warfarin and tamoxifen with an acute onset. This report suggests that when these drugs are co administered, careful monitoring of the coagulation profile is needed.

Avaliação da recuperação do eixo hipotalâmico-hipofisário-adrenal após corticoterapia por meio do cortisol basal / Evaluation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery after corticotherapy by using basal cortisol secretion

A suspensão da corticoterapia é a causa mais comum de insuficiência supra-renal, e ainda persistem dúvidas quanto à melhor forma de avaliação da inibição e recuperação do eixo hipotalâmico-hipofisário-adrenal (HHA) provocada pelos glicocorticóides. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a utilidade da dosagem do cortisol basal na avaliação desta insuficiência. Foram avaliadas 35 crianças (mediana da idade de 6,9 anos) submetidas ao tratamento preconizado pelo Grupo Brasileiro para o tratamento da Leucemia Linfocítica Aguda (LLA). O teste de estímulo com o hormônio liberador da corticotrofina (CRH ­ 1 mcg/kg) foi realizado antes da introdução da dexametasona (6 mg/m²/dia, por 28 dias), no 8° e no 28° dias do uso do glicocorticóide e 48 horas e um mês após sua retirada. Houve inibição da secreção do cortisol basal e da concentração máxima (após CRH) durante a corticoterapia e 48 horas após sua suspensão, em relação ao valor obtido antes do tratamento (p< 0,01 e p< 0,0001, respectivamente, para os três exames). Um mês após o término da corticoterapia, o valor do cortisol basal e a concentração máxima não apresentavam diferença significativa em relação ao aferido antes do tratamento. Observou-se correlação positiva e significativa entre as concentrações basais e máximas do cortisol em todos os testes realizados. Observou-se, ainda, que ao considerarmos o limite inferior de cortisol basal de 8,5 mcg/dl obtivemos 95 por cento de especificidade para o diagnóstico da insuficiência adrenal. Concluímos que o uso do cortisol basal é de utilidade como marcador da função supra-renal em crianças durante a suspensão do tratamento e após corticoterapia.

Toxicidade ocular causada pelo tamoxifeno: relato de caso / Ocular toxicity caused by tamoxifen: case report

O objetivo desse trabalho é relatar um caso de toxicidade ocular pelo tamoxifeno. Para isso, aferiu-se a melhor acuidade visual corrigida de ambos os olhos em tabela de Snellen. Foram realizados biomicroscopia do segmento anterior, refração, oftalmoscopia, angiofluoresceinografia e retinografia numa paciente de 63 anos, sexo feminino, cor branca, em uso de tamoxifeno 20 mg/dia há 4 anos, com acuidade visual corrigida de 20/70 e 20/40. A biomicroscopia do segmento anterior apresentava ceratopatia verticilata e catarata nuclear e cortical posterior de 1+/4 em ambos os olhos. A oftalmoscopia, foi verificado alteração do brilho macular de ambos os olhos. E a angiofluoresceinografia mostrou hiperfluorescência na área macular em fase precoce (defeito em janela). Relata-se um caso de ceratopatia e maculopatia causadas pelo tamoxifeno.

Increased risk of endometrial abnormalities in breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen: the need for gynaecologic surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of abnormally thickened endometrium associated with tamoxifen treatment in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. METHODS: Two groups of asymptomatic postmenopausal breast cancer patients were recruited in the study. The first consisted of 70 patients taking 20mg/day of tamoxifen for at least 6 months. The second group included 140 patients without tamoxifen treatment. Endometrial evaluation using transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) was conducted for all patients. Fractional curettage was carried out for patients whose endometrial thickness was greater than 5 mm on TVS. RESULTS: The prevalence of abnormally thickened endometrium (greater than 5 mm on TVS) was significantly higher in patients receiving tamoxifen (58.57% VS 10.71 %, P = 0.0001). Patients undergoing tamoxifen treatment had a 5.61 relative risk of developing abnormally thickened endometrium (95% CI= 2.65 -11.86). CONCLUSION: Tamoxifen significantly increases the risk of developing abnormally thickened endometrium in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. There is, thus, a true need for gynaecologic surveillance in such patients to early detect neoplastic change of endometrium that may arise as a result of tamoxifen use.