title: 4-Hydroxyandrostenedione in treatment of postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer.
abstract: 4-hydroxyandrostenedione, a potent inhibitor of the aromatase (oestrogen synthetase) system, was given to 11 patients with metastatic breast cancer. After a single 500 mg intramuscular injection a sustained reduction of serum oestradiol was observed for at least 1 week in all patients in whom the steroid was measured. 4 patients responded to treatment for periods of up to 4 months, and healing of bone metastases and reduction in size of soft-tissue metastases was evident. The only side-effects were pain at the injection site and hot flushes. 4-hydroxyandrostenedione is a new and specific aromatase inhibitor which shows promise in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002369:Castration; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008593:Menopause; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol; C014594:formestane