title: Clinical experience of drug treatments for mastalgia.
abstract: Results of randomised trials and open studies in 291 patients with severe persistent breast pain in whom breast cancer had been excluded showed that drug therapy produced a good or useful result in 77% of those with cyclical mastalgia and 44% of those with non-cyclical mastalgia. In patients with cyclical mastalgia good or useful responses were obtained with danazol in 70%, with bromocriptine in 47%, and with evening-primrose oil in 45%. The equivalent response rates in patients with non-cyclical mastalgia were 31%, 20%, and 27% respectively. Progestagens were not effective in either group. Failure to respond to one drug did not preclude response to a different drug. Patients with Tietze's syndrome did not respond to drug therapy, but 7 out of 10 responded to injection of lignocaine and hydrocortisone around the affected costochondral junction.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mansel
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003613:Danazol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004394:Dydrogesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010507:Periodicity; D010938:Plant Oils; D011897:Random Allocation; D013991:Tietze's Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D001971:Bromocriptine; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D004394:Dydrogesterone; D003613:Danazol