A pilot study has shown tibolone to effectively reduce all the symptoms of the menopause, in women receiving tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer, with no determinable effects on the endometrium (lining of the womb) or the breast, according to research published in February’s edition of BJOG (British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology).
The study looked at the use of tiboline in 75 postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen therapy after surgery for breast cancer.
Tibolone is a drug that has beneficial effects on the symptoms of the menopause which are induced by tamoxifen. Previous studies have shown that tibolone does not stimulate breast tissue and has an anti tumour effect similar to tamoxifen in animal studies. It is therefore considered to be the safest form of hormone replacement therapy in women with breast cancer.
Peter Bowen-Simpkins, spokesperson at the RCOG says, “The findings from this pilot study are promising but only a large long term clinical trial can provide confirmatory data regarding effects of tibolone on recurrence in breast cancer patients.”
Prof Ernst Kubista says, “This very well planned and conducted pilot trial gives real evidence that tibolone is an active drug in reducing menopausal symptoms in patients after breast cancer under tamoxifen treatment. Furthermore it could be proven that the combination of tibolone and tamoxifen does not induce endometrial proliferation. In this study no recurrence of breast cancer occurred, but confirmatory data regarding this issue will be given by the large scale “Liberate Trial” which just finished recruiting more than 3100 patients.”
