Concomitant use of tamoxifen with radiotherapy enhances subcutaneous breast fibrosis in hypersensitive patients D Azria1,2, S Gourgou3, W J Sozzi4, A Zouhair4, R O Mirimanoff4, A Kramar3, C Lemanski1, J B Dubois1,2, G Romieu5, A Pelegrin2 and M Ozsahin4 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer, Rue Croix Verte, 34298 Montpellier, France 2EMI 0227, Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer, Rue Croix Verte, 34298 Montpellier, France 3Biostatistics Unit, Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer, Rue Croix Verte, 34298 Montpellier, France 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Rue Bugnon, Lausanne, Switzerland 5Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer, Rue Croix Verte, 34298 Montpellier, France Correspondence to: Dr D Azria, Department of Radiation Oncology, CRLC Val d'Aurelle, rue Croix Verte, 34298 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. E-mail: azria@valdorel.fnclcc.fr Presented in part at the 26th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, 3-6 December, 2003 Concomitant use of adjuvant tamoxifen (TAM) and radiation therapy (RT) is not widely accepted. We aim to assess whether this treatment is associated with an increased risk of developing subcutaneous fibrosis after conservative or radical surgery in breast cancer patient. We analysed 147 women with breast cancer treated with adjuvant RT, and who were included in the KFS 00539-9-1997/SKL 00778-2-1999 prospective study aimed at evaluating the predictive value of CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte apoptosis for the development of radiation-induced late effects. TAM (20 mg day-1) with concomitant RT was prescribed in 90 hormone receptor-positive patients. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of complication-relapse-free survival (CRFS) rates at 3 years, 48% (95% CI 37.2-57.6%) vs 66% (95% CI 49.9-78.6%) and complication-free survival (CFS) rates at 2 years, 51% (95% CI 40-61%) vs 80% (95% CI 67-89%) in the TAM and no-TAM groups, respectively. In each of these groups, the CRFS rates were significantly lower for patients with low levels of CD8 radiation-induced apoptosis, 20% (95% CI 10-31.9%), 66% (95% CI 51.1-77.6%), and 79% (95% CI 55-90.9%) for CD8 16, 16-24, and >24%, respectively. Similar results were observed for the CFS rates. The concomitant use of TAM with RT is significantly associated with an increased incidence of grade 2 or greater subcutaneous fibrosis; therefore, caution is needed for radiosensitive patients. British Journal of Cancer advance online publication 24 August 2004; doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6602146 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.