Treatment of metastatic breast cancer with anastrozole in patients previously treated with aminoglutethimide - case report

Abstract

Anastrozole represents new, strong and selective nonsteroid aromatase inhibitor. The purpose of this report was to show the effect of anastrozole in two patients with breast cancer who were previously treated with aminoglutethimide. A female patient aged 55 years (menopausal, unknown status of steroid receptors) has been living 246 months with breast cancer (63 months with metastatic disease), and treated with tamoxifen aminoglutethmide, and anastrozole. Therapeutic effect lasting 45 months was achieved with aromatase inhibitors. Female patient aged 56 years (menopausal, unknown status of steroid receptors) has been living 163 months with breast cancer (130 months with metastatic disease). There were 124 months response to hormonotherapy - tamoxifen (66 months), aminoglutethimide (54 months), and anastrozole (4 months). Therapeutic effect lasting 45 months was achieved with aromatase inhibitors. Anastrozole was selected in both patients because of metastatic involvement of the pleura with bilateral effusion. No disease progression was maintained for 4 and 5 months with no toxic effects and with good quality of life. Anastrozole has a marked role as a secondary hormone therapy medication in breast cancer, in the treatment of receptor positive patients in menopause.

Keywords

• breast neoplasms
• antineoplastic agents
• hormonal
• neoplasm metastasis
• aminoglutethimide
• menopause
• aromatase