Nafoxidine--an antiestrogen for the treatment of breast cancer.

Nafoxidine is a nonsteroidal antiestrogen available as an investigational agent from the Investigational Drug Branch of the National Cancer Institute. It has been used effectively in the treatment of breast cancer patients. A cumulative response rate of 31% is reported for a total of 200 patients treated with this drug. Most patients have been treated with a dose of 60 mg three times a day. Side effects include dryness of skin, photosensitivity reactions and, less commonly, partial hair loss. There is a strong correlation of response to nafoxidine with the presence of estrogen receptor in the tumor and also with the response to previous hormonal treatment. Nafoxidine is a useful addition to the list of hormonal treatments in the therapy of breast cancer.