Urogenital disorders in women with adjuvant endocrine therapy after early breast cancer

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 204; no. 1; pp. 26.e1 - 26.e7
• Main Authors: Baumgart, Juliane, Nilsson, Kerstin, Stavreus-Evers, Anneli, Kask, Kristiina, Villman, Kenneth, Lindman, Henrik, Kallak, Theodora, Sundström-Poromaa, Inger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Analysis of Variance; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal - adverse effects; aromatase inhibitors; Aromatase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Atrophy - chemically induced; Atrophy - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - chemistry; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Hot Flashes - chemically induced; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Middle Aged; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Postmenopause; Sweating; Sweden; tamoxifen; Tamoxifen - adverse effects; Tumors; Urinary Incontinence - chemically induced; urogenital symptoms; Vagina - drug effects; Vagina - pathology; vaginal atrophy; Sweden; breast cancer; aromatase inhibitors; vaginal atrophy; urogenital symptoms; tamoxifen; Human; Breast disease; Gynecology; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Obstetrics; Urogenital; Mammary gland diseases; Treatment; Female; Early; Woman; Cancer
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.08.035

To investigate the prevalence of urogenital symptoms and vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal breast cancer patients on adjuvant endocrine therapy. A population-based, cross-sectional study on postmenopausal breast cancer patients on adjuvant endocrine treatment and age-matched control subjects. Vaginal atrophy was assessed by gynecologic examination and atrophy-related symptoms by validated questionnaires. In all, 57.6% of aromatase inhibitor-treated and 32.4% of tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients rated at least 1 vaginal atrophy symptom as moderate/severe, which was significantly more common than in control subjects ( P < .01). Aromatase inhibitor-treated patients more often had moderate or severe vaginal atrophy ( P < .05), a more atrophic cytohormonal evaluation, and significantly higher vaginal pH ( P < .05) than all control subjects, irrespective of hormonal use. Our findings indicate that the frequency of vaginal atrophy symptoms, particularly in aromatase inhibitor-treated women, might have been underestimated in previous clinical trials.