Women who take tamoxifen to guard against the return of breast cancer face a six-fold increase in the risk for uterine sarcoma, a rare malignancy of the muscles and supporting tissue of the uterus.An Israeli team of researchers reported the finding Wednesday at the Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in Miami Beach, Fla."There is an increased risk for uterine sarcoma even after you stop taking the tamoxifen,” said study author Dr. Ofer Lavie, head of the division of gynecologic oncology at Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.While there have been case reports of uterine sarcoma associated with tamoxifen use, this report is believed to be the first large study to document the risk, Lavie said.The study helps give a more complete picture of the risks of taking tamoxifen, Lavie said. It is routinely prescribed for five years for women who have had breast cancer to prevent recurrence, although scientists have known for years it boosts the risk of getting endometrial cancer.Still, the benefit of tamoxifen is believed to outweigh the risk; endometrial cancer is less common than breast cancer and not usually fatal, experts said.
