• I Cohen, Y Beyth, R Azaria, D Flex, A Figer, and R Tepper.
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sapir Medical Centre, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
• BJOG. 2000 Sep 1; 107 (9): 1083-7.

ObjectiveTo assess whether there is a decrease in endometrial thickness following discontinuation of tamoxifen treatment as measured by ultrasound.DesignProspective study.SettingDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sapir Medical Centre, Kfar-Saba, Israel.PopulationFifty-eight postmenopausal women with breast cancer who were treated with tamoxifen.MethodsTransvaginal ultrasonographic measurements of endometrial thickness.Main Outcome MeasuresEvaluation of the changes of endometrial thickness and the frequency the endometrium reached a thickness of < or = 5 mm at different time intervals after stopping tamoxifen treatment.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in median thickness of the endometrium, within six months after stopping tamoxifen, from 7.75 mm measured at the last ultrasonographic study performed before tamoxifen discontinuation down to 5.2 mm (P = 0.002). There were no further reductions in endometrial thickness, and it remained constantly low in subsequent ultrasonographic studies which were performed at various times up to 30 months following the discontinuation of tamoxifen treatment. While taking tamoxifen, only 25-9% of the women had an endometrial thickness of < or = 5 mm. This proportion doubled in their first six months after stopping.ConclusionsMedian thickness of endometrial thickness significantly reduced within six months following tamoxifen discontinuation, and remained constantly low thereafter. This finding may support use of ultrasonographic imaging for the measurement of tamoxifen's effect on the endometrium of postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

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