Cardiometabolic Effects of Endocrine Treatment of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer

Abstract

Estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer is common and has a relatively good prognosis. It shares risk factors with cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease is an important competing cause of mortality. Adjuvant endocrine therapy with aromatase inhibitors (requiring concomitant ovarian suppression in premenopausal women) or selective estrogen receptor modulators (usually tamoxifen) exert oncologic benefits by respectively inhibiting estradiol synthesis or breast estrogen receptor signaling. Aromatase inhibitors cause systemic estradiol depletion. Tamoxifen has mixed agonistic/antagonistic effects in a tissue-dependent fashion. Given that estrogens modulate cardiometabolic ris..