Summary
The endocrine effects of alternating tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate have been evaluated in 26 post-menopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer. Endocrine evaluations included the RIA determination of plasma levels of sex-hormone binding globulin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, prolactin, cortisol, and testosterone. The evaluation of the study parameters at different intervals during therapy indicates that with this schedule an alternate sequential effect on the endocrine system is achievable because each drug exerts its own endocrine activity that is completely reversed when the other drug is administered. We can hypothesize that the same alternate activity as seen on the endocrine system could be obtained also on other tissues and organs including tumors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Allegra JC: Rational approaches to the hormonal treatment of breast cancer. Sem Oncol 10: 25–28(Suppl 4), 1983
Ingle JN: Additive hormonal therapy in women with advanced breast cancer. Cancer 53: 766–777, 1984
Ganzina F: High dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) treatment in advanced breast cancer: a review. Tumori 65: 563–568, 1979
Pannuti F, Martoni A, Lenaz GR, Piana E, Manni P: A possible new approach to the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Massive dose of medroxyprogesterone acetate. Cancer Treat Rep 62: 499–504, 1978
Di Marco A: The antitumor activity of 6-methyl-17-acetoxyprogesterone (MPA) in experimental mammary cancer. In: Iacobelli S, Di Marco A (eds) Role of Medroxyprogesterone in Endocrine-Related Tumors, Vol. 1. Raven Press, New York, 1980, pp 1–20
Boccardo F, Zanardi S, Cerruti G, De Menech R, Mina G, Dandolo G, Valenti G: Modulation of sex steroid receptors in DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma of the rat by estrogen and tamoxifen. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 21: C-93, 1985
Namer M, Lalanne C, Baulieu EE: Increase of progesterone receptor by tamoxifen as hormonal challenge test in breast cancer. Cancer Res 40: 1750–1756, 1980
Iacobelli S, Sica G, Natoli C, Gatti D: Inhibition effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on the proliferation of human breast cancer cells. In: Campio L, Robustelli Della Cuna G, Taylor RW (eds) Role of Medroxyprogesterone in Endocrine-related Tumors, Vol. 2. Raven Press, New York, 1983, pp 1–6
Robustelli Della Cuna G, Pavesi L, Preti P: Tamoxifen/medroxyprogesterone acetate sequential treatment for advanced breast cancer. In: Pannuti F (ed) Anti-oestrogens in Oncology. Past, Present and Prospects. 1985, pp 183–189
Garcia-Giralt E, Jouve M, Palangie T: Sequential administration of tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Bull Cancer 69: 336–340, 1982
Gunderson S: Advanced breast cancer: the cyclical use of TAM and MPA in estrogen positive patients. Proc. II International Symposium on Anti-Hormones in Breast Cancer, Berlin, 21–24 October, 1984, p 118
Garcia Giralt E, Hurteloup P, Chollet P, Bastit P, Chevalier B, Delozier T, Le Floch O, Mercier M, Montenquet P, Metz R, Degado M, Weber B, Sesin D, Daban A, Pouruy C, Olivier JP, Roche H, Van V, Pouillart P: Breast cancer first line hormonotherapy: a multicenter randomized trial comparing TAM with MPA and their sequential administration. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 6: 236, 1987
Gasparini G, Canobbio L, Galligioni E, Fassio T, Crivellari D, Villalta D, Talamini R, Monfardini S: Sequential combination of tamoxifen and high dose medroxyprogesterone acetate: therapeutic and endocrine effects in postmenopausal advanced breast cancer patients. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 1987, in press
Fabian C, Sternson L: Clinical pharmacology of tamoxifen in patients with breast cancer: comparison of traditional and loading dose schedules. Cancer Treat Rep 64: 765–771, 1980
Pannuti F, Martoni A, Camaggi CM, Stracchi E, Di Marco AR, Rossi AP, Tomasi L, Giovannini M, Cricca A, Fruet F, Lelli G, Giambiasi ME, Canova N: High dose medroxyprogesterone acetate in oncology. History, clinical use and pharmacokinetics. Proc International Symposium on Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, Geneva, Switzerland, February 24–26, 1982, pp 5–46
Snedecor GW, Cochran WG: Statistical Methods. Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1976
Boccardo F, Guarneri D, Rubagotti A, Casertelli G, Bentivoglio G, Conte N, Campanella G, Gaggero G, Comelli G, Zanardi S, Nicolo' G: Endocrine effects of tamoxifen in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Tumori 70: 61–68, 1984
Szamel I, Vincze B, Hindy I, Hermann I, Borvendag J, Eckhardt S: Hormonal changes during a prolonged tamoxifen treatment in patients with advanced breast cancer. Oncology 43: 7–11, 1986
Sala G, Iannotta F, Facchinetti A: Endocrinological properties of medroxyprogesterone acetate. In: Cavalli F, Mc Guire WL, Pannuti F, Pellegrini A, Robustelli Della Cuna G (eds): Proc Symposium on Medroxyprogesterone Acetate. 1982, pp 125–138
Alexieva-Figush J, Blankestein MA, De Jong FH, Lamberts WJ: Endocrine effects of the combination of megestrol acetate and tamoxifen in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 20: 1135–1140, 1984
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Canobbio, L., Galligioni, E., Gasparini, G. et al. Alternating tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate in postmenopausal advanced breast cancer patients — short and long term endocrine effects. Breast Cancer Res Tr 10, 201–204 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01810584
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01810584