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- Title
Ethinylestradiol is beneficial for postmenopausal patients with heavily pre-treated metastatic breast cancer after prior aromatase inhibitor treatment: a prospective study.
- Authors
Iwase, H; Yamamoto, Y; Yamamoto-Ibusuki, M; Murakami, K-I; Okumura, Y; Tomita, S; Inao, T; Honda, Y; Omoto, Y; Iyama, K-I
- Abstract
Background:Oestrogens usually stimulate the progression of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Paradoxically, high-dose oestrogens suppress the growth of these tumours in certain circumstances.Methods:We prospectively examined the efficacy and safety of ethinylestradiol treatment (3 mg per day oral) in postmenopausal patients with advanced or recurrent ER-positive breast cancer who had previously received endocrine therapies, especially those with resistance to aromatase inhibitors.Results:Eighteen patients were enrolled with the median age of 63 years and the mean observation time of 9.2 months. Three cases withdrew within 1 week due to oestrogen flare reactions with nausea, fatigue and muscle-skeletal pain. The response rate was 50% (9 out of 18), and the clinical benefit rate was 56% (10 out of 18). The stable disease (<6 months) was 17% (3 out of 18) and another 2 cases were judged as progressive disease. Time-to-treatment failure including 2 on treatment was a median of 5.6 months (range 0.1 to 14.5+). Although vaginal bleeding or endometrial thickening was observed in patients receiving long-term treatment, there were no severe adverse events, such as deep venous thrombosis or other malignancies.Conclusion:Although the mechanism of this treatment has not been fully understood, our data may contribute to change the common view of late-stage endocrine therapy.
- Subjects
BREAST cancer treatment; ESTRADIOL; POSTMENOPAUSE; METASTASIS; AROMATASE inhibitors; ESTROGEN receptors; CANCER invasiveness; TUMOR growth
- Publication
British Journal of Cancer, 2013, Vol 109, Issue 6, p1537
- ISSN
0007-0920
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/bjc.2013.520