Tamoxifen therapy in premenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.
Forty-three premenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer were treated with tamoxifen (2 X 20 mg daily) as first-line treatment. The patients were not selected on receptor status, which was known in only a few patients. Complete response was achieved in six patients and partial response was achieved in seven patients, for a total response rate of 30%. At the time of disease progression (including nonresponding patients), castration was performed as second-line treatment in 24 patients. Four of eight responders to tamoxifen had a response to castration. Of four patients with stable disease receiving tamoxifen, one had a response, and of 12 patients failing to respond to tamoxifen, one had a complete response and one had a partial response. In conclusion, patients who respond to tamoxifen have a good chance of responding to castration; an initial failure to tamoxifen does not exclude the possibility of response to castration. Therefore, the prognostic value of the tamoxifen response for castration response is of limited value.
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D002369:Castration; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010053:Ovary / Q000601:surgery; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen