Prolonged clinical benefit from the maintenance hormone therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer

Breast. 2013 Dec;22(6):1205-9. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2013.08.013. Epub 2013 Oct 14.

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the efficacy of maintenance hormone therapy (MHT), which was given to hormone positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in non-progression status to the previous chemotherapy.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 76 MBC patients who had been treated with MHT from 2006 to 2010 at a single institute.

Results: For the 76 patients reviewed, the median progression free survival (PFS) to MHT was 14.4 months (95% CI, 11.6-17.3). Prolonged PFS was associated with less previous palliative chemotherapy, fewer metastatic sites, and the absence of visceral metastasis in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that only the number of previous palliative chemotherapy (HR 1.73, 95% CI, 1.00-2.98; P = 0.04) remained as a significant variable. MHT was generally well tolerated.

Conclusions: MHT showed considerable efficacy and tolerability in this study. Further randomized prospective study is warranted.

Keywords: Breast cancer; ER; Hormone therapy; MBC; MHT; MPA; Maintenance; OS; PFS; PR; RECIST; estrogen receptor; maintenance hormone therapy; medroxyprogesteron acetate; metastatic breast cancer; overall survival; progesterone receptor; progression free survival; response evaluation criteria in solid tumors.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Aromatase Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Aromatase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Maintenance Chemotherapy*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Palliative Care*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
  • Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / adverse effects
  • Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Aromatase Inhibitors
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators