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Medical adrenalectomy in patients with advanced breast cancer resistant to anti-oestrogen treatment

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Summary

Fifty-three women with actively progressing advanced breast cancer, who had all previously received tamoxifen, were treated with aminoglutethimide to induce medical adrenalectomy. Sixty-nine percent of the patients who had previously responded to tamoxifen subsequently responded to aminoglutethimide, while thirty-five percent of the nonresponders to tamoxifen subsequently responded to aminoglutethimide. The median duration of remission to aminoglutethimide was 12 months with a range from 4 to 22 + months. The drug was well tolerated and would appear to be the treatment of choice in tamoxifen responsive cases of advanced breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Endocrine Clinic, Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Australia

    Robin M. L. Murray M.D., F.R.A.C.P. (Head)

  2. Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Australia

    Paula Pitt M.B.B.S. (Sessional Medical Officer)

Authors
  1. Robin M. L. Murray M.D., F.R.A.C.P.
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  2. Paula Pitt M.B.B.S.
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Address for repints: Robin M.L. Murray, M.D., Head, Endocrine Clinic, Cancer Institute, Melbourne 3000, Australia.

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Murray, R.M.L., Pitt, P. Medical adrenalectomy in patients with advanced breast cancer resistant to anti-oestrogen treatment. Breast Cancer Res Tr 1, 91–95 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805860

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805860

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