Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research (Nov 2014)

Hormone therapy with tamoxifen reduces plasma levels of NT-B-type natriuretic peptide but does not change ventricular ejection fraction after chemotherapy in women with breast cancer

  • F.B. Silva,
  • W.G. Romero,
  • A.L.R. Carvalho,
  • M.V. Borgo,
  • M.H.C. Amorim,
  • S.A. Gouvea,
  • G.R. Abreu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-431x20144189
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 48, no. 2
pp. 154 – 160

Abstract

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tamoxifen on the plasma concentration of NT-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and to correlate changes in NT-proBNP with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Over a period of 12 months, we followed 60 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The patients were separated into a group that received only chemotherapy (n=23), a group that received chemotherapy + tamoxifen (n=21), and a group that received only tamoxifen (n=16). Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were assessed at 0 (T0), 6 (T6), and 12 (T12) months of treatment, and echocardiography data were assessed at T0 and T12. Plasma NT-proBNP levels were increased in the chemotherapy-only group at T6 and T12, whereas elevated NT-proBNP levels were only found at T6 in the chemotherapy + tamoxifen group. At T12, the chemotherapy + tamoxifen group exhibited a significant reduction in the peptide to levels similar to the group that received tamoxifen alone. The chemotherapy-only group exhibited a significant decrease in LVEF at T12, whereas the chemotherapy + tamoxifen and tamoxifen-only groups maintained levels similar to those at the beginning of treatment. Treatment with tamoxifen for 6 months after chemotherapy significantly reduced the plasma levels of NT-proBNP and did not change LVEF in women with breast cancer.

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