Fulvestrant in treatment for metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

Background. Metastatic breast cancer is still an incurable disease, and is currently regarded as a chronic process requiring longterm treatment with periodic therapy replacements. Hormonal therapy shows its therapeutic efficacy with less toxicity and a better quality of life for patients compared with chemotherapy and is one of the main treatment for patients with luminal subtypes of breast cancer.The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity of fulvestrant in treatment for metastatic breast cancer.Material and methods. The study included patients with metastatic breast cancer with positive hormonal status developing progression after adjuvant treatment or chemotherapy or hormonal therapy due to metastatic cancer, ECOG≤2, with normal liver, kidney and marrow function. Fulvestrant was administered intramuscularly 500 mg once a month with a loading dose 500 mg on day 14 of the first month. The effect was evaluated every 3 months.Results. We analyzed the efficacy and safety of fulvestrant in second-line and over treatment of 20 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Overall response was 65% (13 patients), including partial remission (PR) in 2 (10%) and stabilization in 11 (55%) patients. Progression was found in 7 (35%) patients. The median of relapse-free survival was 6 month. 1-year overall event-free survival was 45%. The median of overall survival was not reached due to the short observation period. 1-year overall survival was 70%. Adverse events in our group of patients included asthenia (80%), hot flushes (25%), headache and nausea (20%).Conclusions. The efficacy of fulvestrant in patients with metastatic breast cancer was high enough and did not depend on the previous treatment, with a favorable toxicity profile.

Keywords

• metastatic hormone-positive breast cancer
• fulvestrant
• hormonal therapy
• adverse events
• toxicity