The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of
tamoxifen on the
plasma concentration of NT-pro-
B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in
women undergoing
chemotherapy for
breast cancer and to correlate changes in NT-proBNP with the left
ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Over a period of 12 months, we followed 60
women with a
diagnosis of
breast cancer . The
patients were
separated into a group that received only
chemotherapy (n=23), a group that received
chemotherapy +
tamoxifen (n=21), and a group that received only
tamoxifen (n=16).
Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were assessed at 0 (T0), 6 (T6), and 12 (T12) months of
treatment , and
echocardiography data were assessed at T0 and T12.
Plasma NT-proBNP levels were increased in the
chemotherapy -only group at T6 and T12, whereas elevated NT-proBNP levels were only found at T6 in the
chemotherapy +
tamoxifen group. At T12, the
chemotherapy +
tamoxifen group exhibited a significant reduction in the
peptide to levels
similar to the group that received
tamoxifen alone. The
chemotherapy -only group exhibited a significant decrease in LVEF at T12, whereas the
chemotherapy +
tamoxifen and
tamoxifen -only groups maintained levels
similar to those at the beginning of
treatment .
Treatment with
tamoxifen for 6 months after
chemotherapy significantly reduced the
plasma levels of NT-proBNP and did not change LVEF in
women with
breast cancer .