title: Letrozole for the treatment of pretreated advanced breast cancer patients: preliminary report.
abstract: Twenty patients (pts) with metastatic breast cancer with disease progression, previously treated with chemotherapy and tamoxifen, were administered oral letrozole (2.5 mg/day) therapy. Fifteen of the patients were postmenopausal and 5 were premenopausal. Ten were estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, 7 were unknown and 3 were ER-negative. All the patients were assessed after 6 months (mo) of chemotherapy. Nine pts (45%) presented a partial response (PR), five (25%) had a stable disease (SD) and six (30%) had a progressive disease (PD). In the pts with PD, six out of 15 (33%) obtained a PR while undergoing tamoxifen therapy. The treatment caused no significant toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Service of Complementary Medical Oncology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sega
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Giuntini
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Cappellini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Terzoli
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077289:Letrozole; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077289:Letrozole