title: Treatment of advanced breast cancer with norethisterone acetate.
abstract: The medical records of 84 postmenopausal women treated with oral norethisterone acetate (NTA) for advanced breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment was devoid of significant toxicity. Twenty-one patients were not evaluable for treatment response either because of insufficient data or inadequate treatment trial. Complete plus partial response was obtained in 21 (33.3%) of the 63 evaluable patients, with a median duration of 10 months. Disease stabilization was observed in 16 (25.4%) patients for a median duration of 5 months, while 26 patients (41.3%) showed progressive disease while on treatment. The best response was observed in women with dominant soft part disease and an age over 70 (CR+PR 48%). The literature on norethisterone acetate is reviewed and compared with present results. The role of progestational agents in the treatment of advanced mammary carcinoma is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate
chemical_list: D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D009640:Norethindrone