Effects of tamoxifen on normal breast tissue histological composition: Results from a randomised six-arm placebo-controlled trial in healthy women

Tamoxifen prevents recurrence of breast cancer and is suggested for preventive risk-reducing therapy. Tamoxifen reduces mammographic density, a proxy for therapy response, but little is known about its effects in remodelling normal breast tissue. Our study, a substudy within the double-blinded dose-determination trial KARISMA, investigated tamoxifen-specific changes in breast tissue composition and histological markers in healthy women. We included 83 healthy women randomised to 6 months daily intake of 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1 mg of tamoxifen or placebo. The groups were combined to “no dose” (0-1 mg), “low-dose” (2.5-5 mg) or “high-dose” (10-20 mg) of tamoxifen. Ultrasound-guided biopsies were collected before and after tamoxifen exposure. In each biopsy, epithelial, stromal and adipose tissues was quantified, and expression of epithelial and stromal Ki67, oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) analysed. Mammographic density using STRATUS was measured at baseline and end-of-tamoxifen-exposure. We found that different doses of tamoxifen reduced mammographic density and glandular-epithelial area in premenopausal women and associated with reduced epithelium and increased adipose tissue. High-dose tamoxifen also decreased epithelial ER and PR expressions in premenopausal women. Premenopausal women with the greatest reduction in proliferation also had the greatest epithelial reduction. In postmenopausal women, high-dose tamoxifen decreased the epithelial area with no measurable density decrease. Tamoxifen at both low and high doses influences breast tissue composition and expression of histological markers in the normal breast. Our findings connect epithelial proliferation with tissue remodelling in premenopausal women and provide novel insights to understanding biological mechanisms of primary prevention with tamoxifen.     

T3、T4期结直肠癌淋巴结转移危险因素分析

目的探讨T3、T4期结直肠癌患者淋巴结转移危险因素,为临床诊疗提供参考。方法回顾性分析2008年1月至2017年12月在空军军医大学西京消化病医院行结直肠癌根治术的1112例T3、T4期结直肠癌患者的临床病理资料,分析淋巴结转移状态与临床病理因素及肿瘤标志物的相关性,应用logistic多因素回归法分析淋巴结转移的相关危险因素。结果单因素分析结果显示,性别、年龄、肿瘤部位分层的结直肠癌患者间淋巴结转移率差异均无统计学意义(均P>0.05),淋巴结转移率在不同肿瘤长径[<5 cm和≥5 cm分别为37.75%(211/559)、52.26%(289/553),χ^2=23.666,P<0.01]、大体类型[浸润、溃疡、蕈伞、隆起分别为37.04%(20/54)、47.52%(432/909)、34.33%(23/67)、69.51%(57/82),χ^2=13.787,P=0.003]、分化程度[高、中、低分化分别为34.11%(102/299)、49.00%(317/647)、48.80%(81/166),χ^2=19.771,P<0.01]、错配修复缺陷(dMMR)[是和否分别为26.34%(64/243)、50.17%(436/869),χ^2=43.996,P<0.01]、神经侵犯[是和否分别为48.17%(421/874)、33.20%(79/238),χ^2=16.954,P<0.01]、脉管侵犯[是和否分别为79.16%(338/427)、23.65%(162/685),χ^2=327.493,P<0.01]以及术前癌胚抗原(CEA)[阳性(≥5 mg/ml)和阴性(<5 mg/ml)分别为52.87%(249/471)、39.16%(251/641),χ^2=20.162,P<0.01]和CA199[阳性(≥35 U/ml)和阴性(<35 U/ml)分别为59.33%(124/209)、41.64%(376/903),χ^2=21.465,P<0.01]分层患者间差异均有统计学意义。logistic多因素回归分析显示,脉管侵犯和术前CA199阳性是T3、T4期结直肠癌患者淋巴结转移独立危险因素(OR=13.006,95%CI 9.329~17.276,P<0.01;OR=2.194,95%CI 1.513~3.181,P<0.01),dMMR阳性是淋巴结转移的保护性因素(OR=0.279,95%CI 0.190~0.411,P<0.01)。结论脉管侵犯是T3、T4期结直肠癌患者淋巴结转移的主要危险因素。术前肿瘤标志物CA199的检测可以作为预测T3、T4期结直肠癌患者淋巴结转移状态的指标,一定程度上可为诊疗方案的制订提供参考。