Eighty-seven consecutive patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with aminoglutethimide plus hydrocortisone. All patients were postmenopausal and had progressive disease following prior chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. Eighty-five women were evaluable for drug response. One patient showed complete remission and 14 patients partial response, for an overall response rate of 17%. The median duration of response was 11+ months. The response rate was highest in the presence of soft tissue involvement (36%). The most common side effects were transient skin rash, lethargy, and dizziness. Two patients discontinued treatment because of cutaneous allergy. Aminoglutethimide can be considered a moderately active agent when utilized as second- or third-line hormonal therapy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlbertoP., MemillodB., KaplanE., GoldhirschA., ObrechtJ.P., JungiF., MartzG., BarrevetL., CavalliF.: A clinical trial of aminoglutethimide in advanced postmenopausal breast carcinoma: low response in patients previously treated with medroxyprogesterone. Eur. J. Cancer Clin. Oncol., 22: 423–428, 1985.
2.
AllegraJ.C.: Rational approaches to hormonal treatment of breast cancer. Semin. Oncol., 10: 25–28, 1983.
3.
BrodieA.M.H., SantenR.J.: Aromatase in breast cancer and the role of aminoglutethimide and other aromatase inhibitors. CRC Critical Rev. in Oncol./Hematol., 54: 361–396, 1986.
4.
ChakrabortyJ., HopkinsR., ParkeD.V.: Inhibition studies in the aromatization of androstenedione by human placental microsome preparations. Biochem. J., 130: 190–195, 1972.
GaleK.E.: Treatment of advanced breast cancer with aminoglutethimide: a 14-year experience. Cancer Res. (Suppl.), 42: 3389–3396, 1982.
7.
HarrisA.L., PowelesT.J., SmithI.E., CoombesR.C., FordM.T., JazetJ.C., HamerC.L., MortanM., WhithH., ParsonC.A., McKinnaJ.A.: Aminoglutethimide for the treatment of advanced postmenopausal breast cancer. Eur. J. Cancer Clin. Oncol., 19: 11–21, 1983.
8.
HoffkenK., KempfH., MillerA.A., MillerB., SchmidtC.G., FaberP., KleyH.K.: Aminoglutethimide without hydrocortisone in the treatment of post-menopausal patients with advanced breast cancer. Cancer Treat. Rep., 70: 1153–1157, 1986.
9.
KayeS.B., WoodsR.L., FoxR.M., CoatesA.S., TattersallH.N.: Use of aminoglutethimide as second-line endocrine therapy in metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Res. (Suppl), 42: 3445–3447, 1982.
10.
LippmanM.E.: Antiestrogen therapy of breast cancer. Sem. Oncol., 10: 11–19, 1983.
11.
LiptonA., HarveyH.A., SantenR.J., BoucherA., WhiteD., BernathA., DixonR., RichardsG., ShafikA.: A randomized trial of aminoglutethimide versus tamoxifen in metastatic breast cancer. Cancer, 50: 2265–2268, 1982.
12.
PearsonO.M., ManniA., ArafahB.M.: Anti-estrogen treatment of breast cancer. Cancer Res. (Suppl.), 42: 3424–3429, 1982.
13.
PowlesT.J.: The role of aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer. Semin. Oncol., 10: 20–24, 1983.
14.
PronzatoP., ArdizzoniA., LionettoR., ConteP., RossoR.: Aminoglutethimide as second-line endocrine treatment in metastatic breast cancer. Tumori, 71: 297–300, 1985.
15.
RobiniP.E., DaltonG.A.: The role of major endocrine ablation. In: Breast Cancer Managing. Early and Late, StollB.S. (eds.), pp. 147–156, Heinemann, London1977.
16.
SalhanckH.A.: Basic studies on aminoglutethimide. Cancer Res. (Suppl.), 42: 3315–3321, 1982.
17.
SantenR.J., BoucherA.E., SantenerS.J., HouveyH., LiptonA.: Inhibition of aromatase as treatment of breast carcinoma in postmenopausal women. Metabolism, in press.
18.
SantenR.J., WorgulT.J., SamojlikeE., InterranteA., BoucherA.E., LiptonA., HarveyM.A., WhiteD.s., SmartE., CoxC., WellsS.A.: A randomized trial comparing surgical adrenalectomy with aminoglutethimide plus hydrocortisone in women with advanced breast cancer. N. Engl. J. Med., 305: 545–551, 1981.
19.
SantenR.J., WorgulT.J., LiptonA., HarveyH., BoucherA., SamojlikE., WellsS.A.: Aminoglutethimide as treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast carcinoma. Ann. Int. Med., 96: 94–101, 1982.
20.
SmithI.E., HarrisA.L., MorganM., GazetJ.C., McKinnaJ.A.: Tamoxifen and aminoglutethimide in the treatment of advanced breast carcinoma. Cancer Res. (Suppl), 42: 3430–3433, 1982.
21.
ThomsonE.A., SiiterP.K.: The involvement of human placental microsome cytocrome P450 in aromatization. J. Biol. Chem., 249: 5373–5379, 1974.
22.
WHO Handbook Reporting Results of Cancer Treatment.World Health Organization, Geneva, 1979.
23.
WorgulT.J., SantenR.J., SamojlikE., WellsS.A.: How effective is surgical adrenalectomy in lowering steroid hormone concentrations. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 54: 22–26, 1982.
