AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We are unable to make any evidence-based recommendations as we found no comparative studies assessing the effectiveness of tamoxifen in women with recurrent ovarian cancer. There is limited evidence on anti-tumour activity from phase 2 studies, but these contain no data on the effect of tamoxifen on symptom control, QOL or the prolongation of life.
Plain language summary
No evidence to suggest tamoxifen benefits patients
with relapsed ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer often spreads
before symptoms show. Cytotoxic drugs are often only partly effective
and cause severe side-effects.
The main aims of treatment for relapsed disease are symptom
control and prolongation of life. No data from RCTs or non-RCTs
were found, so there was no evidence that tamoxifen was
effective and safe as a treatment for relapsed ovarian cancer.
Laboratory
studies suggest tamoxifen may be effective as a treatment for
women with ovarian cancer. Although, uncontrolled non-comparative
trials on patients with relapsed ovarian cancer showed
tamoxifen may shrink or stabilise tumours in a small number, there
is a strong need for an RCT or good quality non-randomised
comparative studies to determine the effectiveness and safety of
tamoxifen in terms of overall survival, tumour response,
symptom control, quality of life and adverse events.
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