Abstract
Background:
Ovarian cancer arising from an endometriotic cyst in a postmenopausal woman under tamoxifen therapy is rare.
Case:
We herein report the case of a 67-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer, taking tamoxifen citrate 20 mg/day for 4 years, who underwent an operation for left ovarian tumor. The postoperative histological diagnosis was endometrioid adenocarcinoma in an endometriotic cyst with a gradual transition of the degree of cellular atypia noted from typical endometriotic epithelium, to atypical endometriosis, and finally to adenocarcinoma.
Conclusion:
Tamoxifen may cause malignant transformation of endometriosis through atypical endometriosis even in the postmenopausal state. Atypical endometriosis may act as a precancerous lesion in the process of tamoxifen-induced malignant transformation of endometriosis.
Publication types
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Case Reports
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Aged
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Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / adverse effects*
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Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use
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Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Carcinoma, Endometrioid / chemically induced
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Carcinoma, Endometrioid / etiology*
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Carcinoma, Endometrioid / pathology
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / drug effects
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology
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Endometriosis / complications
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Endometriosis / pathology
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Female
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Humans
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Neoplasms, Second Primary / chemically induced
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Neoplasms, Second Primary / etiology*
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Neoplasms, Second Primary / pathology
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Ovarian Cysts / complications*
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Ovarian Cysts / pathology
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Ovarian Neoplasms / chemically induced
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Ovarian Neoplasms / etiology*
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Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
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Tamoxifen / adverse effects*
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Tamoxifen / therapeutic use
Substances
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Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
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Tamoxifen