High-dose tamoxifen in treatment of brain tumors: interaction with antiepileptic drugs

Epilepsia. 1995 May;36(5):513-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1995.tb00494.x.

Abstract

The incidence of seizures related to primary brain tumors is 20-80%. High-dose tamoxifen was recently reported as a novel treatment for patients with malignant gliomas who have failed standard therapies. Tamoxifen inhibits protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro and thus may regulate glioma cell growth by modulating intracellular signal transduction. We report a patient with a recurrent supratentorial pilocytic astrocytoma who had an untoward interaction between high-dose tamoxifen therapy and phenytoin (PHT), drugs that share a common enzyme for metabolism, therefore emphasizing the need to monitor concomitant antiepileptic drug (AED) levels when high-dose tamoxifen therapy is instituted.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Drug Interactions
  • Glioma / drug therapy*
  • Glioma / enzymology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Phenytoin / adverse effects
  • Phenytoin / pharmacology*
  • Protein Kinase C / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Tamoxifen
  • Phenytoin
  • Protein Kinase C