Skip to main content
Log in

Chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in association with combined tamoxifen/tegafur adjuvant therapy

  • Liver: Infectious, Inflammatory, and Metabolic Disorders
  • Case Report
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Two female breast cancer patients who received combined tamoxifen and tegafur as postsurgical adjuvant therapy developed severe hepatotoxicity after being treated for three and eight months, respectively. Shortly after the cessation of the treatment, routine liver tests showed gradual recovery, but liver biopsies revealed chronic active hepatitis in one patient and liver cirrhosis in the other. Four and five years, respectively, after the cessation of the treatment, the results of liver tests were normal and distinct histological improvement was observed in both patients. Because these patients had no viral and immunoserological markers nor any history of alcohol abuse, this study suggested that the tamoxifen and tegafur regimen induced reversible chronic active liver disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ward HWC: Anti-estrogen therapy for breast cancer: A trial of tamoxifen at two dose levels. Br Med J 1:13–14, 1973

    Google Scholar 

  2. Nayfield SG, Karp JF, Ford LG, Dorr FA, Kramer BS: Potential role of tamoxifen in prevention of breast cancer J Natl Cancer Inst 83:1450–1459, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fugh-Berman A, Epstein S: Tamoxifen: Disease prevention or disease substitution? Lancet 340:1143–1145, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  4. Raloff J: Tamoxifen quandary. Sci News 141:266–269, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  5. Noguchi M, Taniya T, Tajiri K, Miwa I, Miyazaki H, Koshino H, Mabuchi H, Nomura A: Fatal hyperlipidemia in case of metastatic breast cancer treated by tamoxifen. Br J Surg 74:586–587, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  6. Patterson JS, Baum M: Safety of tamoxifen. Lancet 1:105, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kahn D, Eagon PK, Porter LE, Elm MS, Makowka BAL, Podesta L, Starzl TE, Thiel DHV: Effects of tamoxifen on hepatic regeneration in male rats. Dig Dis Sci 34:27–32, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  8. Loomus GN, Aneja P, Bota RA: A case of peliosis hepatis in association with tamoxifen therapy. Am J Clin Pathol 80:881–883, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  9. Blackburn AM, Amiel SA, Millis RR, Rubeens RD: Tamoxifen and liver damage. Br Med J 289:288, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  10. Majima H, Nishimura A: Toxic effects of prolonged oral administration of tegafur (FT-207). Jpn J Cancer Chemother 9:726–732, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fisher B, Gunduz N, Saffer EA, Zheng S: Relation of estrogen and its receptor to rat liver growth and regeneration. Cancer Res 44:2410–2415, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  12. Riippa P, Kauppila A, Sundstrom H, Vihko R: Hepatic impairment during simultaneous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate and tamoxifen in the treatment of endometrial and ovarian carcinoma. Anticancer Res 4:109–112, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  13. Au JI, Sadee W: Activation of futorafur [R,S-1-(tetrahydro-2 furanyl)-5-fluorouracil] to 5-fluorouracil and γ-butyrolactone. Cancer Res 40:2814, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  14. Baba M, Shima T, Tanaka T, Nakamura M, Hasegawa H, Suzuki S, Kusano I: A case of allergic liver injury induced by tegafur. J Gastroenterol 29:88–92, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  15. Palmeri S, Gebbia V, Russo A: Oral tegafur in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract cancers: A phase II study. Br J Cancer 61:475–478, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  16. Willis CM, John KB: Progress in hepatology: Drug-induced chronic liver disease. J Gastroenterol 72:1348–1353, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hyman JZ: Drug-induced chronic hepatic disease. Med Clin North Am 63:567–582, 1979

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Maruyama, S., Hirayama, C., Abe, J. et al. Chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in association with combined tamoxifen/tegafur adjuvant therapy. Digest Dis Sci 40, 2602–2607 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02220448

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02220448

Key Words

Navigation