Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2017 Aug;96(34):e6785.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000006785.

Effects of tamoxifen on urinary incontinence: Case report and review of literature

Elshad Hasanov  1 , Merve Hasanov, Issa M Kuria, Rovshan Hasanov, Reshad Rzazade, Eric Jonasch, Kadri Altundag
Affiliations
Case Reports

Effects of tamoxifen on urinary incontinence: Case report and review of literature

Elshad Hasanov et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Rationale: Tamoxifen has been used in women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and has been shown to successfully reduce both recurrence and mortality. On the contrary, long-term use of tamoxifen has hormone-related urogenital side effects which decrease the quality of life of the patients.

Patient concerns: In this case report, we present a breast cancer patient receiving tamoxifen who developed urinary incontinence; we discuss the effects of tamoxifen on urinary incontinence, which decreases quality of life of the patients who were evaluated in our clinic.

Diagnoses: Breast cancer, urinary incontinence.

Interventions: Temporarily discontinuing tamoxifen.

Outcomes: Urinary incontinence resolved.

Lessons: Based on the case we reported and literature, estrogen can cause a dose-dependent increase in incontinence, but more preclinical and clinical studies of both estrogen and SERMs are needed to support this notion; given the fact that some small-scale clinical studies have not proven a direct relationship between tamoxifen and urinary incontinence. We suggest that clinicians faced with the issue should temporarily stop usage of the drug once the complaint of urinary incontinence arises.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). Effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for early breast cancer on recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomized trials. Lancet 2005;365:1687–717. - PubMed
    1. Alfano CM, McGregor BA, Kuniyuki A, et al. Psychometric properties of a tool for measuring hormone-related symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Psychooncology 2006;15:985–1000. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Suckling J, Lethaby A, Kennedy R. Local oestrogen for vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006;4:CD001500. - PubMed
    1. Harvey M, Kristjansson B, Griffith D, et al. The Incontinence Impact Questionnaire and the Urogenital Distress Inventory: a revisit of their validity in women without a urodynamic diagnosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:25–31. - PubMed
    1. Tomaszewski J, Adamiak-Godlewska A, Bogusiewicz M, et al. Collagen type III biosynthesis by cultured pubocervical fascia fibroblasts surrounding mono and multifilament polypropylene mesh after estrogens and tamoxifen treatment. Ginekol Pol 2010;81:493–500. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms