Summary
The development of endometrial cancer is a potential risk during long-term tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer. In order to protect the uterus, progestin treatment has been proposed for these patients. However, within the 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary model, progesterone is known to reverse the antitumor effects of tamoxifen. This study shows that progesterone administered intermittently still reverses the antitumor effects of tamoxifen in this model. This effect of progesterone is not due to a decrease in the tissue levels of tamoxifen, and may be direct, via the progesterone receptor.
References
Jordan VC, Murphy CS: Endocrine pharmacology of antiestrogens as antitumor agents. Endocrine Rev 11: 578–610, 1990
Gibson DFC, Jordan VC: Adjuvant antiestrogen therapy for breast cancer: past, present, and future. In: Cady B, Bland KI (eds) The Surgical Clinics of North America Vol 4. Breast Cancer: Strategies for the 1990's. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1990, p 1103–1113
EBCTCC: Effects of adjuvant tamoxifen and of cytotoxic therapy on mortality in early breast cancer. N Engl J Med 319: 1681–1691, 1988
Falkson HC, Gray R, Wolberg WH, Gilchrist KW, Harris JE, Tormey DC, Falkson G: Adjuvant trial of 12 cycles of CMFPT followed by observation or continuous tamoxifen versus four cycles of CMFPT in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Phase III study. J Clin Oncol 8: 599–607, 1990
Powles TJ, Hardy JR, Ashley SE, Farrington GM, Cosgrove D, Davey JB, Dowsett M, McKinna JA, Nash AG, Sinnett HD, Tillyer CR, Treleaven JF: A pilot trial to evaluate the acute toxicity and feasibility of tamoxifen for prevention of breast cancer. Br J Cancer 60: 126–131, 1989
News. Tamoxifen trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 83: 399, 1991
Neven P, De Muylder X, Van Belle Y, Vanderick G, De Muylder E: Tamoxifen and the uterus and endometrium. Lancet 1: 375, 1989
Gottardis MM, Robinson SP, Satyaswaroop PG, Jordan VC: Contrasting actions of tamoxifen on endometrial and breast tumor growth in the athymic mouse. Cancer Res 48: 812–815, 1988
Fornander T, Rutqvist LE, Cedermark BV, Glas U, Mattson A, Silversward JD, Skoog L, Somell A, Theve T, Wilking N, Askergren J, Hjolmar ML: Adjuvant tamoxifen in early breast cancer: occurrence of new primary cancers. Lancet 1: 117–120, 1989
Andersson M, Storm HH, Mouridsen HT: Incidence of new primary cancers after adjuvant tamoxifen therapy and radiotherapy for early breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 83: 1013–1017, 1991
Gusberg SB: Tamoxifen for breast cancer: associated endometrial cancer. Cancer 65: 1463–1464, 1990
Kimura J, Obata T, Okada H: Effects of clomiphene citrate and progesterone on resting and proliferative cell populations in mouse uterine epithelium. Endocrinol Japan 23: 401–406, 1976
Conti CJ, Gimenez-Conti IB, Conner EA, Lehmann JM, Gerschenson LE: Estrogen and progesterone regulation of proliferation, migration and loss in different target cells of rabbit uterine epithelium. Endocrinology 114: 345–351, 1984
Johnson PA, Muss H, Bonomi P, Von Roenn J, Wolter J, Paschold E, Black W, Cooper M: Megestrol acetate as primary hormonal therapy for breast cancer. Semin Oncol 15 (suppl 4): 34–37, 1988
Bergkvist L, Adami H, Persson I, Hoover R, Schairer C: The risk of breast cancer after estrogen and estrogen-progestin replacement. N Engl J Med 321: 293–297, 1989
Huggins C, Yang NC: Induction and extinction of mammary cancer. Science 137: 257–262, 1962
Diamond JE, Hollander VP: Progesterone and breast cancer. Mt Sinai J Med 46: 225–235, 1979
Jordan VC, Lababidi MK, Langan-Fahey S: Suppression of mouse mammary tumorigenesis by long-term tamoxifen therapy. J Natl Cancer Inst 83: 492–496, 1991
Hissom JR, Moore MR: Progestin effects on growth in the human breast cancer cell line T47D. Possible therapeutic implications. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 45: 706–711, 1987
Mouridsen HT, Elleman K, Mattsson W: Therapeutic effect of tamoxifen versus tamoxifen combined with medroxy progesterone acetate in advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Cancer Treat Rep 63: 171–175, 1979
Robinson SP, Jordan VC: Reversal of the antitumor effects of tamoxifen by progesterone in the 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary carcinoma model. Cancer Res 47: 5386–5390, 1987
Langan-Fahey SM, Tormey DC, Jordan VC: Tamoxifen metabolites in patients on long-term adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 26: 883–888, 1990
Robinson SP, Langan-Fahey SM, Johnson DA, Jordan VC: Metabolites, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of tamoxifen in rats and mice compared to the breast cancer patient. Drug Metabolism Disposition 19: 36–43, 1991
Jordan VC, Wolf ME, Mirecki DM, Whitford DA, Welschons WV: Hormone receptor assays: clinical usefulness in the management of carcinoma of the breast. CRC Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 26: 97–152, 1988
Kordon E, Lanari C, Meiss R, Elizalde P, Charreau E, Pasqualini CD: Hormone dependence of a mouse mammary tumor line inducedin vivo by medroxyprogesterone acetate. Breast Cancer Res Treat 17: 33–43, 1990
Horwitz KB: Progestins inhibit growth and increase insulin receptors in antiestrogen-resistant T-47D human breast cancer cells; implications for endocrine therapies. Cancer Res 45: 167–173, 1985
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gibson, D.F., Johnson, D.A., Langan-Fahey, S.M. et al. The effects of intermittent progesterone upon tamoxifen inhibition of tumor growth in the 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene rat mammary tumor model. Breast Cancer Res Tr 27, 283–287 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00665699
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00665699