title: Formestane, a steroidal aromatase inhibitor after failure of non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole and letrozole): is a clinical benefit still achievable?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few clinical data on the sequential use of aromatase inhibitors (AI). This paper focuses on the relevance of clinical benefit CB (CR + PR + SD > or = 6 months) in postmenopausal metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients treated with the steroidal aromatase inhibitor (SAI) formestane (FOR). who had already received non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (nSAI): letrozole (LTZ) or anastrozole (ANZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty postmenopausal women with MBC were analysed in this retrospective two-centre study with the sequence nSAI-FOR. When receiving ANZ, 1 of 11 achieved a complete response and 9 of 11 a stable disease > or = 6 months, and receiving LTZ 1 of 9 achieved a partial response and 4 of 9 a stable disease > or = 6 months. The analysis of the entire population treated with FOR showed an overall CB of 55% (11 of 20) with a median duration of 15 months and median time to progression (TTP) of 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Formestane 250 mg once bi-weekly seems to be an attractive alternative third-line hormonal therapy for the treatment of patients with MBC, previously treated with nSAI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. pcarlini@iol.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frassoldati
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papaldo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paoloni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cognetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077384:Anastrozole; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077289:Letrozole; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017698:Postmenopause; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014230:Triazoles; D000077384:Anastrozole; D000735:Androstenedione; D000077289:Letrozole; C014594:formestane