Treatment of breast carcinoma with aminoglutethimide

During the past three years 52 patients (51 females and 1 male) have been treated for advanced carcinoma of the breast with aminoglutethimide (AG) with addition of a glucocorticoid. More than half of the patients had received three or more systemic treatments and at least two different endocrine regimens before the start of the AG therapy. All patients had previously been treated with tamoxifen. The treatment had to be discontinued after less than six weeks in 2 patients due to acute toxicity and in 4 patients due to intercurrent disease. Fifteen out of the 52 patients had an objective response; 4 complete responders were noted. In addition, the disease remained stable for 2 to 19 months in 16 patients. Aminoglutethimide in combination with a glucocorticoid seems to be an efficient treatment as a late endocrine alternative in a sequence of different endocrine regimens.