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The Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer with Aminoglutethimide
Author(s) -
Kaye S. B.,
Woods R. L.,
Fox R. M.,
Tattersall M. H. N.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1981.tb03514.x
Subject(s) - aminoglutethimide , medicine , tamoxifen , chemotherapy , breast cancer , endocrine system , metastatic breast cancer , cancer , oncology , surgery , hormone , aromatase
Thirty‐eight patients with advanced breast cancer, resistant to prior endocrine therapy and in most cases prior chemotherapy, were treated with aminoglutethimide, 250 mg qds. Seven of 30 evaluable patients (23%) responded. Six have subsequently relapsed with a mean duration of response of 17 weeks, while one continues to respond after 50 weeks of therapy. Six additional patients (20%) had stable disease during aminoglutethimide therapy (mean duration of 16 weeks). Three of the seven responders had shown a partial response, two had stable disease and two had progressive disease on prior endocrine therapy (including tamoxifen); six of the seven patients responding to aminoglutethimide had received prior combination chemotherapy, to which ail had responded. Aminoglutethimide was generally well tolerated, although three patients withdrew from treatment within the first two weeks because of intolerable drowsiness. Aminoglutethimide offers a useful alternative to surgical adrenalectomy for women with advanced breast cancer responsive to previous endocrine and cytotoxic chemotherapy.