Severe hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia associated with tamoxifen use

• Published in: Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)) Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 270 - 271
• Main Authors: Colls, B.M., George, P.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute pancreatitis; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Hypercholesterolaemia; Hypercholesterolemia - chemically induced; Hyperlipidemias - chemically induced; Hyperlipidemias - genetics; Hypertriglyceridaemia; Hypertriglyceridemia - chemically induced; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Pancreatitis - chemically induced; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Tamoxifen; Tamoxifen - adverse effects; Tropical medicine; Type IV hyperlipidaemia; Breast cancer; Acute pancreatitis; Hypercholesterolaemia; Tamoxifen; Hypertriglyceridaemia; Type IV hyperlipidaemia; Human; Antineoplastic agent; Carcinoma; Toxicity; Antiestrogen; Metabolic diseases; Lipids; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Malignant tumor; Antihormone; Tamoxifene; Case study; Mammary gland diseases; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertriglyceridemia; Adult; Female; Mammary gland; Dyslipemia; Non steroid compound
• ISSN: 0936-6555; 1433-2981
• DOI: 10.1016/S0936-6555(98)80019-8

A patient who was given tamoxifen as adjuvant treatment for breast cancer developed very severe hypertriglyceridaemia, hypercholesterolaemia and acute pancreatitis after being treated for 4 months. The hyperlipidaemia was corrected after cessation of the tamoxifen and the institution of gemfibrozil treatment. This patient appears to have type IV hyperlipidaemia. It is suggested that, in such patients, tamoxifen should be used with extreme caution because the weakly oestrogenic effect of this agent can cause severe and life threatening hyperlipidaemia.