Abstract
From July 1980 to June 1983, 61 postmenopausal women with progressive metastatic breast cancer were treated with aminoglutethimide, 250 mg 4 times daily, plus cortisone acetate, 25 mg twice daily. Of 51 evaluable patients, an objective remission was observed in 22 (43 %) (partial remission in 19, complete in 3), stable disease in 14 (27 %), and progressive disease in 15 (30 %). The median duration of response was 60 weeks (range 12 +; 94+). The response rate was higher when the dominant disease site was soft tissue (50 %) or bone (56 %) rather than viscera (29 %). Side effects were common but usually slight and transient. Somnolence (69 %), dizziness (41 %), nausea (35 %) and skin rash (27 %) were the most frequent. Serum levels of gamma-GT, alkaline phosphatase and total cholesterol rose during aminoglutethimide treatment, whereas levels of uric acid and indirect bilirubin decreased. Aminoglutethimide plus cortisone acetate appears to be an active and relatively safe treatment in advanced breast cancer and may be recommended as second-line endocrine treatment.
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