Tamoxifen

Reactions 1482, p37-38 - 14 Dec 2013

STamoxifen

Hypertriglyceridaemia: case reportA 48-year-old woman developed severe

hypertriglyceridaemia while receiving tamoxifen for breastcancer.

The woman, whose medical history includedhypothyroidism and obesity, had previously received 6 cyclesof chemotherapy and 6 months of postoperative radiationtherapy for invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast. Threemonths after starting oral tamoxifen 20mg once daily, shepresented with severe hypertriglyceridaemia. Laboratoryinvestigations included the following: triglycerides3170 mg/dL, cholesterol 380 mg/dL, uric acid 6.9 mg/dL, TSH0.12 µIU/mL and leukocyte count 3.9 × 1000/µL.

Tamoxifen was discontinued, and the woman’s dosage oflevothyroxine sodium was reduced. Her triglyceride levelrapidly decreased to 832 mg/dL, but gradually increased overthe following 4 months to 1128 mg/dL. She began receivingfenofibrate, and her triglyceride level decreased to 690 mg/dLafter 2 months. Her antihormone therapy was switched toanastrozole.

Author comment: Tamoxifen can, in rare cases, inducesevere hypertriglyceridaemia, which can develop a few weeksor even years after starting tamoxifen treatment.Kahl S, et al. Rare cause for severe hypertriglyceridemia - Case 9/2013. . DeutscheMedizinische Wochenschrift 138: No. 47, Jan 2013. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1349600 [German; summarised from a translation] -Germany 803096788

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Reactions 14 Dec 2013 No. 14820114-9954/13/1482-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2013 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved