Tamoxifen-induced remission in breast cancer by escalating the dose to 40 mg daily after progression on 20 mg daily: a case report and review of the literature.

An 80-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer to the lungs and bones was treated with tamoxifen, 10 mg twice daily, with arrest of disease of six month's duration. At the time of progression, increasing the dosage to 20 mg twice daily resulted in an objective remission now lasting 8+ months. This finding indicates that in this patient, the tamoxifen dosage of 40 mg/daily had a significantly higher anti-tumor effect than 20 mg/daily. Pertinent literature on the correlation of response with tamoxifen dosage is reviewed.