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Pros and cons of aminoglutethimide for advanced postmenopausal breast cancer

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Summary

In a phase II clinical trial, 38 postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer were treated with aminoglutethimide and replacement hydrocortisone. All women had previously received up to 4 modalities of endocrine therapy. Seventeen patients had also been treated with cytostatic drugs. Twenty-five percent of the 29 evaluable patients experienced objective tumor regression, lasting from 11 to more than 18 months. In 29% the disease was stabilized for 3 to more than 15 months. Toxicity was significant, necessitating drug withdrawal in 3 patients. One patient died within 3 weeks of therapy from multiple perforated gastric ulcers. Two patients developed herpes zoster within 4 weeks of treatment. Many side effects were minor and transient. However, treatment resulted in overt primary hypothyroidism in 25% of the evaluable patients and in a strongly increased need of acenocoumarin in all 3 patients on anticoagulant therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 121 Plesmanlaan, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    PF Bruning, JGM Bonfrèr, E Engelsman, E Hamersma-v.d. Linden, M de Jong-Bakker & W Nooyen

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  1. PF Bruning
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  2. JGM Bonfrèr
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  3. E Engelsman
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  4. E Hamersma-v.d. Linden
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  5. M de Jong-Bakker
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  6. W Nooyen
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Bruning, P., Bonfrèr, J., Engelsman, E. et al. Pros and cons of aminoglutethimide for advanced postmenopausal breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 4, 289–295 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806041

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