Antihormone treatment of stage IV breast cancer.
The antiestrogen Tamoxifen (T), given orally to 113 patients with stage IV breast cancer, induced objective remission in 50%. Duration of remission in the first 39 patients, with minimum 27 months follow up, is 18 + months; these results are equal to those of surgical hypophysectomy. T prolonged survival in responders. Older age, previous response to endocrine therapy and positive estrogen receptors predicted response to T. T was effective in hypophysectomized patients in whom serum growth hormone and prolactin were undetectable, but serum ostrogens were present in low amount, suggesting a direct stimulatory effect of estrogens at the tumor level. Hypophysectomy induced further palliation after treatment with T, indicating that pituitary hormones may also play a role in the growth of some human breast cancers. Side effects from T were minimal. T is the initial treatment of choice for postmenopausal women with hormone responsive stage IV breast cancer.
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D008593:Menopause; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen