Aminoglutethimide in the treatment of premenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Eighteen premenopausal patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer were treated with aminoglutethimide (AG)/cortisone. All patients received 1000 mg AG per day in combination with 2 X 25 mg cortisone acetate. Complete (CR) and partial remissions (PR) were achieved in 27.8%, a no change (NC) in 16.7% and progressive disease (PD) in 55.5% of all cases. The clinical results show that AG/cortisone acetate is effective in the therapy of premenopausal as well as postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer. One hormone receptor negative tumour completely responded. Contrary to postmenopausal patients whose low oestradiol levels continuously decrease, oestradiol levels in premenopausal patients were not influenced by treatment. A distinct suppression of the ovarian activity does not occur. Thus concluding, a mechanism--at least partially different from those in the postmenopause and not necessarily of endocrine nature--must exist in the premenopause. We, therefore, no longer think it justified to assert that the therapeutic effect of AG is merely based on medical adrenalectomy.