title: Perioperative bromocriptine adjuvant treatment for operable breast cancer.
abstract: Blood levels of prolactin are consistently raised in women who have undergone mastectomy for breast cancer, probably because of the stress of surgery. Since this increase in concentration of a known breast epithelial growth promoter might stimulate proliferation in micrometastatic cells shed at the time of surgery, a pilot study was conducted to try to abolish this effect. 38 patients with suspected operable breast cancer were given either bromocriptine (18) or placebo (20) tablets for 5 days preoperatively and thereafter for 3-10 days. Bromocriptine-treated patients showed significant reductions in prolactin levels and in S-phase fraction of tumour cells within the primary infiltrating carcinoma. There were no major side-effects. Perioperative bromocriptine may provide another approach to adjuvant therapy, possibly combined with endocrine or cytotoxic treatment for patients with axillary nodal metastases.
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D001971:Bromocriptine; D011388:Prolactin