An evaluation of tamoxifen dose escalation in advanced breast cancer

We escalated the dose of tamoxifen (TAM) to 30 or 40 mg daily in 23 patients who had experienced remission or stable disease (NC) under prior treatment with TAM 20 mg daily. One patient, whose bone and soft tissue disease had previously been stabilized under TAM 20 mg daily for 13 months, showed a partial remission (PR) lasting for 6 months. In 14 patients (64%) the disease remained stable for a median duration of 6 months (1.5-18+ mos.). Subjective improvement was noted in nine patients (39%), including the patient with PR and another one with progressive disease (PD). We conclude that dose escalation has no relevant activity in patients failing prior treatment with conventional doses of TAM.