Antiestrogen stimulated human endometrial cancer growth: laboratory and clinical considerations

The new antiestrogen toremifene (TOR) is currently on the market for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. TOR is known to exhibit a similar efficacy profile as tamoxifen (TAM) in the treatment of advanced breast cancer and there are studies to suggest that the beneficial side effects of TAM on bone and blood lipids are also achieved with TOR. However, the data concerning the action of TOR on the endometrium is sorely lacking. In light of the estrogenic effect of TAM on the uterus and the 2–3-fold increased incidence in endometrial carcinoma detected in patients receiving TAM therapy, it is imperative to investigate the effect of TOR on endometrial carcinoma. We compared the actions of TAM and TOR on the EnCa101 human endometrial tumor model and find that both antiestrogens have similar growth stimulatory effects. To investigate a potential mechanism of antiestrogen-stimulated endometrial tumor growth, we have examined known activators of the AP-1 signal transduction pathway, the protein kinase C (PKC) family of isozymes, in the EnCa101 human endometrial tumor model. We find that increased PKC isozyme expression correlates with hormone-independent breast cancer as well as antiestrogen-stimulated endometrial cancer.