Tamoxifen-Induced Dyslipidemia in Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study among Kurdish Population

Background: Each patient's risk-benefit profile must be carefully assessed because tamoxifen's anti-estrogenic properties may have an impact on lipid metabolism. Objectives: This research looks into how tamoxifen affects Kurdish women's lipid profiles. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Azadi Hematology Oncology Centre in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, on 165 females with estrogen- and/or progesterone-positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy with tamoxifen for three months or longer. Results: The mean age was 42.4 years; 83.6% were married and multiparous (77.6%), with a BMI of 29.1 kg/m². 56.1% of participants had normal lipid profiles, 32.4% had elevated levels, and 11.5% had low levels. Age showed minimal impact on lipid biomarkers, with very weak correlations. Obese patients had normal TC (68.6%), HDL-C (68.6%), LDL-C (44.8%), TC/HDL-C (73.1%), and LDL-C/HDL-C (88.1%) ratios, as well as elevated TG (65.7%) and VLDL-C (77.6%), with weak correlations. Patients treated with tamoxifen for ≥ 24 months showed higher proportions of normal and high lipid profiles, with minimal impact of treatment duration. Conclusions: Abnormal HDL-C, TG, VLDL-C, and TC/HDL-C were more frequent in obese patients, suggesting BMI had more impact on lipid profile than age or therapy duration. Tamoxifen had limited effects on lipid profile, with minimal associations with age or treatment duration.