Vitamin E, hot flashes and Tamoxifen

[Rich66]

More recent (2009) support for avoiding Vitamin E with TAM:

J Surg Res. 2009 May 1;153(1):143-7. Epub 2008 Apr 22.
Vitamin E increases biomarkers of estrogen stimulation when taken with tamoxifen.

Peralta EA, Brewer AT, Louis S, Dunnington GL.
Department of Surgery, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794-9638, USA. eperalta@siumed.edu
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate, AT) diminishes the antiproliferative effect of tamoxifen on breast cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: A prospective study of seven women taking tamoxifen for adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. Four who were already taking AT supplements had random core biopsies of the normal breast and again 30 days after discontinuing AT. Three who were not on AT had biopsies before and after adding AT 400 mg for 30 days. Biopsies were stained for estrogen receptor (ER) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase p-ERK. Tissue extracts were assayed for p-ERK by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and tamoxifen were measured. RESULTS: Five out of seven patients had lower tamoxifen levels while taking AT, four of these went to subtherapeutic levels. Biopsies showed 23% of ductal cells were ER positive when patients were off AT and 70% on AT (P = 0.02). P-ERK staining was 21% off AT and 82% on AT. Five of seven patients had significantly higher tissue p-ERK when on AT. CONCLUSIONS: Biomarkers of estrogen-stimulation (ER, progesterone receptor, and p-ERK) were higher in breast biopsies of women taking vitamin E supplements while taking tamoxifen. Findings suggest that vitamin E supplements may interfere with the therapeutic effects of tamoxifen.

PMID: 18468636 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


More on Tamoxifen HERE

[1rarebird]

Thank you, Rich, for locating this research synopsis. E.A. Perlata at Southern Illinois School of Medicine was also involved in the 2006 study done with mice. I am glad to see he and his cohorts follow up with this 2009 study using brave women willing to undergo the unpleasantness of core biopsy to test his earlier hypothesis. I suspect there may be a call for more exhaustive tests to be preformed, but I have seen enough now to disregard my nurse's recommendation and I will not be taking the vitamin E while I am still on Tamoxifen.
Thanks again--
bird