The study population included 95 consecutive tamoxifen-treated premenopausal and postmenopausal women with breast cancer who were followed up by the outpatient clinic at the Hadassah University Hospital between September 1990 and June 1992. All patients underwent a pelvic examination and vaginal ultrasonography with a 5 MHz vaginal probe. In 8 of the 11 patients the ovarian cystic enlargement disappeared after cessation of tamoxifen treatment. Two patients underwent laparotomy because of persistent cysts and the third because of a rapidly growing myoma. The three cysts were found to be benign.
Ovarian cysts are a common side effect of tamoxifen treatment.
The ovarian cysts can develop in tamoxifen-treated premenopausal as well as postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Most of the tamoxifen-associated cysts disappear after tamoxifen treatment is abandoned. PDQ statements exist for a number of topics. Please consult the PDQ Index . The information provided through OncoLink should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease.