INTRODUCTION Exemestane was approved in 2005 for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to assess whether it is cost-effective in comparison to available alternatives. MATERIAL AND METHODS To evaluate the efficacy of exemestane, a systematic review was conducted by searching electronic databases. The outcomes of interest were "clinical benefit", "overall response" and "d...

The aim of the present study was to establish screening biomarkers of exposure to antineoplastic drugs administered to 11 patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Among the anticancer drugs administered were cyclophosphamide (all), Adriamycin (5 of 11), methotrexate (3 of 11), 5-fluorouracil (4 of 11), vincristine (3 of 11), megestrol acetate (1 of 11), and procarbazine (1 of 11). The noninvasi...

BACKGROUND It has been shown in in-vitro experiments that "withdrawal" of tamoxifen inhibits growth of tumor cells. However, evidence is scarce when this is extrapolated into clinical context. We report our experience to verify the clinical relevance of "withdrawal therapy". METHODS Breast cancer patients since 1998 who fulfilled the following criteria were selected from the departmental data...

BACKGROUND The management of cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome (CACS) is a great challenge in clinical practice. To date, practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of CACS are lacking. The authors conducted a randomized study to confirm the effectiveness and safety of treatment of CACS utilizing megestrol acetate (MA) plus thalidomide. METHODS One hundred and two candidates...

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in developed countries. Approximately 3%-14% of endometrial cancers are diagnosed in young women under 40 who want to preserve their fertility. The incidence of endometrial cancer in this age group is increasing, for which fertility-sparing therapy is increasingly used because it is one of the most important quality of life issues in thes...

RATIONALE Endometrial cancer patients with lung metastases are rare, and more rarely with long-term management of progesterone after recurrence. PATIENT CONCERNS Informed consent of the patients and their families. DIAGNOSES Endometrial cancer (IVB) (Refer to 2009 FIGO stag of endometrial cancer). INTERVENTIONS the patient was treated with Megestrol Acetate Dispersible Tablets (trade name...

UNLABELLED Letrozole is an oral reversible nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor. Clinical tracer studies show that it inhibits peripheral aromatase by over 98% and suppresses blood and urinary estrogen levels by over 95% after 2 weeks of treatment in postmenopausal women. Letrozole also significantly inhibits intratumoral aromatase in vivo. The action of letrozole appears to be selective for aromat...

Anti-aromatase agents now have a central role in the management of breast cancer in postmenopausal women; they are superior to megestrol acetate as second-line therapy and to tamoxifen for initial therapy of metastatic disease. They also are highly active as neoadjuvant therapy. Two classes of anti-aromatase agents are available: steroidal (eg, exemestane) and nonsteroidal (eg, anastrozole, let...

Twelve postmenopausal women suffering from advanced breast cancer had plasma estrogens, androgens, cortisol, and gonadotropins determined before therapy and during treatment with megestrol acetate (MA) in oral doses escalated from 40 to 160 mg. The plasma clearance and production rate of estrone and estrone sulfate were determined before treatment and after 4 weeks of therapy with 160 mg MA. Tr...

Clinical question " What treatments are available for hot flushes in women receiving tamoxifen? " A 62-year-old woman asked her radiation oncologist this question. She was taking tamoxifen as adjuvant treatment for node-positive breast cancer, but was experiencing persistent and frequent hot flushes. The search question was refined to " What treatments can be added to tamoxifen to reduce the fr...