Megestrol acetate in cachectic patients with advanced bronchogenic cancer.
Megestrol acetate, a semisynthetic gestagen, is effective not only for endocrine therapy of advanced breast carcinoma, but also in treatment of cachectic patients with aggressive, hormone-independent tumors. 40 patients with therapy-resistant, advanced bronchogenic carcinoma of different histologic type, who had lost more than ten percent of their regular body weight within a prospective, non-randomized trial were treated with megestrol acetate at a dose of either 160 mg/day or 480 mg/day for 3-4 months. The average weight gain of all patients was 3.0 kg. Nearly all of them (80%) reported improved appetite and well-being. The weight gain in the group of patients receiving 160 mg/day was higher (80%) than in the group receiving 480 mg/day (50%), suggesting that the lower dose is as effective as the higher one for palliative treatment.
Heckmayr
M
M
Pneumologisch-onkologische Abteilung, Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf, FRG.
Gatzemeier
U
U
D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008535:Megestrol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D008535:Megestrol; D019290:Megestrol Acetate