Publication

Interaction of tamoxifen with concurrent cytotoxic adjuvant treatment affects lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets counts in breast cancer patients

Journal Paper/Review - May 1, 1999

Units
PubMed

Citation
Sabbioni M, Goldhirsch A, Perey L, Bonnefoi H, Thürlimann B, Bernhard J, Bacchi M, Siegrist H, Hürny C, Castiglione M, Senn H. Interaction of tamoxifen with concurrent cytotoxic adjuvant treatment affects lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets counts in breast cancer patients. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 1999; 7:149-53.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 1999; 7
Publication Date
May 1, 1999
Issn Print
0941-4355
Pages
149-53
Brief description/objective

The effects and interaction of endocrine and cytotoxic adjuvant treatment on measures of cellular immunity were assessed in 41 stage I-II breast cancer patients from International Breast Cancer Study Group trials. Counts of lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets [(T, T4, T8, B, natural killer (NK) and activated T (AT) cells] were assessed by flow cytometry immediately before adjuvant therapy at baseline and on day 1 of the 3rd cycle. Twenty-two patients received cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF), 7 CMF and tamoxifen (TAM), and 12 TAM alone. On day 1 of the 3rd cycle the counts of total lymphocytes (P = 0.003) and all lymphocyte subsets (P<0.05) except AT cells were significantly lower than baseline in the CMF treatment group. There was no significant change in the CMF+TAM or in the TAM treatment group. The combination of CMF and TAM resulted in less pronounced decrease in lymphocyte and subset counts from baseline to day 1 of the 3rd cycle. It seems possible that there is an interaction between TAM with CMF that affects lymphocyte and lymphocyte subset counts during cytotoxic treatment.