Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0278488 (metastatic breast cancer)
 7,812 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Sixteen patients with clinically localized breast carcinoma who had been receiving tamoxifen 20 mg twice daily for between 3 and 38 months (median, 14 months) were studied. Several parameters of coagulation (antithrombin III, protein C, fibrinopeptide A and in vitro monocyte procoagulant activity) were investigated in this group and compared to a group of 15 patients with clinically localised breast carcinoma not given tamoxifen. Tamoxifen did not induce significant changes in these parameters to account for the reported thromboembolic events associated with this therapy. The reduced antithrombin III activity previously described in patients receiving tamoxifen for metastatic breast cancer may reflect disease activity rather than a direct effect of tamoxifen on blood coagulation.
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PMID:Effects of tamoxifen on blood coagulation. 334 87

Reported in the literature are several cases of thromboembolic complications occurring in patients on tamoxifen citrate for metastatic breast cancer. In view of this literature, a study of patients on tamoxifen was initiated to determine if a paradoxical estrogenic effect was present as evidenced by lowered levels of antithrombin III (AT III). Both functional and immunologic levels were assayed. Twenty-four women with metastatic breast cancer (predominantly bone, 83%) on tamoxifen 10 mg by mouth twice daily were studied. The mean duration of tamoxifen therapy at the time of the AT III determination was 36 weeks (range, 2-87 weeks). The mean age of the group was 64 years with a mean functional AT III of 86% (normal, 82%-120%). Ten of 24 (42%) had low levels of functional AT III (mean, 75%), whereas, the remaining 14 (58%) had normal levels of functional AT III (mean, 94%). Immunologic AT III levels were normal in 23 patients (mean, 26 mg/dl; normal range, 17-30 mg/dl) and elevated in 1 patient. Similarly, functional and immunologic AT III levels were determined in 11 women with metastatic breast cancer on no hormonal therapy. One of 11 (9%) had a low level of functional AT III with a mean of 102% for the entire group. The mean immunologic AT III was 28 mg/dl with two elevated. The poor correlation between functional and immunologic AT III levels may be similar to the disparity noted in women using estrogen-containing oral contraceptives. The finding of lowered functional activity of AT III in 42% of tamoxifen-treated patients is preliminary in nature and will require larger confirmatory studies, including further clinical correlation of this observation.
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PMID:Tamoxifen treatment of metastatic breast cancer and antithrombin III levels. 642 71