A CLINICAL STUDY ON FATTY CHANGE IN THE LIVER BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER

The frequency of associating fatty liver in patients with breast cancer has been clinically studied in terms of obesity, menopause, and medicines, especially tamoxifen. Subjects were 75 patients operated on for breast cancer at the department from October 1986 to March 1992, who underwent abdominal ultrasonography (US) or computed tomography (CT). The association rate of fatty liver of 19.7% on preoperative examination increased to be as high as 63.7% postoperatively (p<0.01). The correlation between the fatty liver association rate and obesity disclosed that obesity group showed a slighly higher rate (36.8%) than that (13.0%) in non-obesity group preoperatively, however, the rate increased in both groups to be 64.7% and 65.9% respectively, without significant difference. No correlation with menopause was found. The association rate was 66.7% in tamoxifen group, versus 40.0% in non-tamoxifen group, with a significant difference (p<0.05). It is concluded that postoperative association of fatty liver in a high rate can be referable to administration of tamoxifen as a probable factor, though its clear mechanism is still obscure.