title: Alternating sequential endocrine therapy: tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate versus tamoxifen in postmenopausal advanced breast cancer patients.
abstract: The effects of tamoxifen (TAM) versus the alternating sequential combination of TAM plus medroxy-progesterone acetate (MPA) has been evaluated in 20 postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer in a randomized controlled trial. In the TAM arm, patients received 20 mg b.i.d. of TAM. In the TAM-MPA arm, patients received only 20 mg b.i.d. of TAM for 7 days and, on the following 7 days. TAM plus an oral daily dose of 500 mg of MPA, in alternating sequence. Objective tumor reduction was achieved in 22 (41%) of the 54 patients in the TAM arm and in 25 (43%) of the 58 patients in the TAM-MPA arm. With regard to the stabilization of disease, a significant difference was observed between patients treated with the TAM-MPA combination and those treated with TAM alone (47% vs 22%). The percentage of nonresponders was also significantly higher in the TAM group (37%) than in the TAM-MPA group (10%). The time to progression was significantly shorter for the TAM arm than for the TAM-MPA arm (median, 7 vs 15 months), but the duration of remission was not significantly different for either treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Picó
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anglada
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Batiste-Alentorn
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tusquets
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013629:Tamoxifen; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone