title: Type of estrogen receptor determines response to antiestrogen therapy.
abstract: Failure of tamoxifen treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) might be caused by variant estrogen receptors (ERs) in some of these tumors. We therefore planned a study in which antihormonal therapy was done with 80 mg/day tamoxifen or 160 mg/day megestrol according to the presence of wild-type or exon 5-deleted variant ER transcripts. Growth rate (evaluated by MRI) of HCCs characterized by variant ER transcripts was 4 times more rapid than that of HCCs with wild-type ERs. Tumor volume in all patients with wild-type ERs was halved after 9 months of tamoxifen treatment, whereas megestrol in patients with variant ERs only slowed down tumor growth. Choosing antihormonal treatment according to the presence of wild-type or variant ERs in the tumor definitely improves the response rate to tamoxifen; in patients with tumors bearing variant ERs, megestrol causes only a temporary inhibition of tumor growth.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Modena, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Villa
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dugani
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Fantoni
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Camellini
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Buttafoco
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Grottola
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pompei
authors: M
authors: M
authors: De Santis
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ferrari
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Manenti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008535:Megestrol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen; D008535:Megestrol