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Effects of tamoxifen on serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer

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Abstract

Serum lipids and apolipoprotein levels were measured in twenty postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer, before and three months after tamoxifen therapy (10 mg twice a day). Tamoxifen caused a significant reduction in total serum cholesterol (10%;P < 0.02), and in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (17%;P < 0.01), and a significant 47 % increase in the subclass 2 of the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P< 0.01). In addition, tamoxifen caused a 16% increase in apolipoprotein A-I, a 12% decrease in apolipoprotein B (P < 0.05), and a 37% reduction in the serum concentration of lipoprotein(a) (P< 0.01). These results show that tamoxifen brings about an important improvement in serum lipid profile.

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Morales, M., Santana, N., Soria, A. et al. Effects of tamoxifen on serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 40, 265–270 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806815

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