Tamoxifen therapy in patients with recurrent laryngeal squamous carcinoma.

Twelve patients with recurrent, advanced laryngeal carcinoma were treated with tamoxifen hormonal therapy. Rationale was based on previous in vitro data identifying estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in some laryngeal carcinoma cell lines. Four patients received tamoxifen, 10 to 20 mg by mouth twice a day; eight received 40 mg by mouth four times a day. The drug was well tolerated at all dose levels. There were no clinical responses. Two patients' tumor tissue was assayed for estrogen and progesterone receptors. One was negative for both, and the other was indeterminate for estrogen receptors and negative for progesterone receptors. A review of literature and a discussion of the possible reasons for the negative results are presented.