Treatment of advanced postmenopausal breast cancer with an aromatase inhibitor, 4-hydroxyandrostenedione: phase II report

4-Hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), a potent new aromatase inhibitor, was given i.m. (500-1000 mg) to 58 patients with advanced postmenopausal breast cancer. Of 52 assessable patients 14 responded (27%), in 10 (19%) the disease stabilized, and in 28 (54%) the disease progressed. Sterile abscesses occu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1986-09, Vol.46 (9), p.4823-4826
Main Authors: GOSS, P. A, POWLES, T. J, DOWSETT, M, HUTCHISON, G, BRODIE, A. M. H, GAZET, J.-C, COOMBES, R. C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Androstenedione - adverse effects
Androstenedione - analogs & derivatives
Androstenedione - metabolism
Androstenedione - therapeutic use
Antineoplastic agents
Aromatase Inhibitors
Biological and medical sciences
Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy
Chemotherapy
Dehydroepiandrosterone - blood
Drug Evaluation
Estradiol - blood
Estrone - blood
Female
Humans
Medical sciences
Menopause
Middle Aged
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - metabolism
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Summary:4-Hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), a potent new aromatase inhibitor, was given i.m. (500-1000 mg) to 58 patients with advanced postmenopausal breast cancer. Of 52 assessable patients 14 responded (27%), in 10 (19%) the disease stabilized, and in 28 (54%) the disease progressed. Sterile abscesses occurred at the injection site in 6 patients and painful lumps were found in a further 3 patients. Two patients developed allergic-type reactions and 4 developed lethargy, suspected to be treatment induced. Plasma estradiol levels were suppressed from a mean of 7.2 +/- 0.8 (SE) pg/ml before treatment to 2.6 +/- 0.2, 2.7 +/- 0.2, and 2.8 +/- 0.3 pg/ml after 1, 2, and greater than 4 months, respectively, of treatment and remained suppressed in patients whose disease relapsed. No significant fall in estrone levels was seen. Similarly, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, sex hormone binding globulin, and gonadotrophin levels were unaltered after 6 months of treatment. Plasma 4-OHA levels were measured in a radioimmunoassay for androstenedione after chromatographic separation of 4-OHA from androstenedione. Drug concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 23.2 (7.8 +/- 1.1) ng/ml after 2 months on treatment. 4-OHA is an effective drug in the management of postmenopausal patients with breast cancer and does not produce notable systemic side effects.
ISSN:0008-5472
1538-7445