The relationship of endometrial pathologies with endometrial thickness and inflammatory markers in breast cancers using tamoxifen.

PURPOSE: Some proliferative and neoplastic changes can be seen in the endometrium of breast cancers using tamoxifen adjuvant therapy (TMX-BC). Identifying risk groups is crucial, but methods and frequency of endometrial follow-up are still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the clinical, ultrasonographic, and inflammatory factors to differentiate pathological endometrium in TMX-BC.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed endometrial biopsy results of TMX-BC (n 361). Normal endometrium (Group I, n 237) and pathological endometrium (Group II, n 124) were compared for clinical, ultrasonographic, and inflammatory features. Neutrophil and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (NLR; PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were the inflammatory markers.

RESULTS

The majority of TMX-BC with endometrial biopsy were asymptomatic (72.6%) and had normal endometrium (65.7%). Pathologic endometrium included endometrial polyp (31.9%), endometrial hyperplasia (1.7%), and endometrial cancer (0.8%). The duration of tamoxifen, cancer stage, vaginal bleeding, and menopause was similar in Group I and Group II (p > 0.05). Group II had increased endometrial thickness (11.22 ± 5.44 mm) compared to Group I (8.51 ± 3.43 mm). Group II had higher RDW and PDW than Group I (p < 0.05). Endometrial thickness ≥ 10 mm had significant diagnostic potential in postmenopausal women (AUC 0.676, p 0.000, CI 0.5-0.7), but not in premenopause.

CONCLUSION

PDW and RDW may be promising markers for pathological endometrium differentiation, but these preliminary findings should be validated by clinical studies. Measurement of endometrial thickness in asymptomatic patients may predict high-risk women with pathological endometrium in postmenopausal women. Further studies are needed in premenopausal women and those using tamoxifen for more than 5 years.