Treatment of cancer weight loss in patients with advanced lung cancer.
Megestrol acetate, a semisynthetic gestagen, is effective not only for endocrine therapy of advanced breast carcinomas, but also in the treatment of cachectic patients with aggressive, hormone-independent tumors. Sixty-six patients with therapy-resistant, advanced bronchogenic carcinomas of different histologic types, who had lost more than 10% of their regular body weight within a prospective, randomized trial, were treated with megestrol acetate at a dose of either 160 or 480 mg/day for 3-4 months. The mean weight gain for all patients was 2.5 kg. Nearly all of them (80%) reported improved appetite and well-being. The mean weight gain in the group of patients receiving 480 mg/day was higher (3.0 kg) than in the group receiving 160 mg/day (2.0 kg).
Heckmayr
M
M
Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hospital Grosshansdorf, Hamburg, FRG.
Gatzemeier
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008535:Megestrol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D008875:Middle Aged; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
D008535:Megestrol; D019290:Megestrol Acetate