Vaginal tamoxifen beneficial to postmenopausal women

In postmenopausal women with or without breast cancer, once-weekly treatment with vaginal tamoxifen helps reduce anxiety symptoms and relieve pain, as shown in a study.

A total of 115 postmenopausal women (mean age 59.2 years, average BMI 25.8 kg/m²), among whom 23.5 percent had breast cancer, participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to receive vaginal tamoxifen or placebo once a week for 3 months.

Outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life were evaluated using standardized questionnaires before and after treatment. Mixed-design ANOVAs with treatment and time as factors were applied in the analyses.

A significant time-by-treatment interaction emerged for anxiety (p=0.001). Symptoms of anxiety slightly decreased over time in women who received vaginal tamoxifen but remained generally unchanged in those who received placebo. However, anxiety levels at baseline were below clinically relevant thresholds in the two treatment groups.

Women who received vaginal tamoxifen also reported a greater reduction in overall pain compared with those who received placebo.

Results for the other outcomes did not reach significance.

The findings indicate that the changes in anxiety levels, although in the non-clinical range, may still be meaningful for postmenopausal women with or without breast cancer, according to researchers. Additional studies are needed to establish the mechanisms and broader benefits of vaginal tamoxifen in this population.