title: Progestational agents in advanced breast cancer: an overview.
abstract: Progestational agents, such as megestrol acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate, are effective hormonal treatments for metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Clinical trials of these agents have demonstrated that 30% to 60% of patients will experience objective tumor response, depending on pretreatment prognostic variables. Although optimal doses and schedules have not been fully defined, current studies are investigating the therapeutic effectiveness of high-dose progestins. Toxicity of these drugs is mild and generally limited to weight gain related to their anabolic activity. Progestins are active second-line agents for metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women. In selected patients, they appear to be equivalent to tamoxifen as first-line therapy for metastatic disease. As more patients are exposed to prolonged adjuvant tamoxifen therapy, the role of progestins as first-line hormonal therapy at the time of relapse is likely to expand.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008535:Megestrol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D008593:Menopause; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D013629:Tamoxifen; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008535:Megestrol; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone; D019290:Megestrol Acetate