[Antiestrogens in the treatment of advanced breast cancer]

Fifty nine female patients with an advanced, recurrent breast cancer were treated with tamoxifen (TAM) in the daily dose of 40-60 mg. The drug was administered to 44 patients following ineffective chemotherapy and/or hormonotherapy with stilbestrol. Ineffective therapy was related with the deterioration of the general status. TAM was administered to the remaining 15 patients from the beginning due to the serious condition. Twenty four patients with the advanced breast cancer treated according to FAC regimen served as the control group. TAM produced significant improvement in health status of the majority of the treated patients and partial remission of cancer in 30% of them. Incidence of remissions, duration and survival period in patients treated with TAM for the advanced breast cancer did not differ significantly from the results obtained in the control group.