title: Prednisolone improves the response to primary endocrine treatment for advanced breast cancer.
abstract: Two hundred and twenty patients with progressive advanced breast cancer were given primary endocrine treatment (PET) according to menstrual status. Pre-menopausal patients received ovarian irradiation (O) and post-menopausal tamoxifen 10 mg bd (T). Patients were randomised to receive either no additional treatment or prednisolone 5 mg bd (P). Similar results were observed in each menstrual subgroup. In 194 evaluable patients, the response to PET + P was 49% and to PET alone 30% (P less than 0.01). P increased the median duration of response from 9 to 14 months (P less than 0.002) and the median time to disease progression from 5 to 9 months (P less than 0.001). Response to P after O or T alone occurred in only 2/62 (3%). Median survival in patients randomised to receive P at the outset of PET was prolonged by 4 months (P less than 0.05). The addition of P significantly improves the response to O or T in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Clinical Oncology Unit, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rubens
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Tinson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: North
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010053:Ovary / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen; D011239:Prednisolone