[Therapeutic effects of Anastrozole in patients with advanced and recurrent breast cancer]

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2004 Oct;31(10):1527-31.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We reviewed therapeutic effects and harmful side effects in 33 patients with advanced or recurrent breast cancer who underwent treatment with Anastrozole 1 mg/day in our department. The patients ranged in age from 40 to 83 years old (median, 59). The Performance Status was 0-2, and there was 1 case of advanced breast cancer and 32 cases of recurrent breast cancer. The duration of disease was from 5 to 233 months (median, 50 months). The estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive rate was 72.7%. Metastatic sites were in multiple organs in 9 cases, in the lung only in 1 case, in bone only in 12 cases, and in soft tissue only in 10 cases. First-line therapy was used in 10 cases, second-line therapy in 6 cases, and above third-line therapy in 17 cases. There was a complete response in 3 cases, partial response in 5 cases, no long change in 13 cases, no change in 9 cases, and progressive disease in 3 cases. The response rate was 24.3%, The response period ranged from 2 to 22 months (median, 8 months), and clinical benefit was achieved in 63.7%. The clinical benefit rates for first-line were 60%, second-line 83.3% and above third-line therapy 58.8%. The response rate for patients with breast cancer resistant to Anthracyclines and/or Taxanes was 20%. Time-to-progression ranged from 2 to 28 months (median, 11 months), and overall survival ranged from 7 to 30 months (median, 15 months). The most frequent harmful side effects were rise in total cholesterol, general fatigue, hot flashes and arthralgia (9.1%). In this study, we confirmed the availability and safety of Anastrozole, which was suggested to be a useful drug in salvage therapy for patients having resistance to Anthracyclines and/or Taxanes, not only but also useful as a first- or second-line therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anastrozole
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy*
  • Nitriles / therapeutic use*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
  • Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
  • Salvage Therapy
  • Survival Rate
  • Triazoles / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
  • Nitriles
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Triazoles
  • Anastrozole
  • Cholesterol