Intensive induction treatment of small cell bronchogenic carcinoma with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and etoposide.

Fifty-six patients with histologically confirmed small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and etoposide. While methotrexate doses were modified for mucositis during the 6-week induction period, none of the drug doses were modified for hematologic toxicity. The overall response rate was 66%, with 16% complete remissions; median survival duration was 28 weeks. In 12 patients, the leukocyte count fell below 1000/mm3, and there were four deaths in febrile, leukopenic patients. Diffuse pulmonary infiltrates were observed in eight patients, and three died from respiratory insufficiency. Lung biopsy in two patients and autopsy in two additional patients showed interstitial changes consistent with drug injury. This regimen produced considerable hematologic and apparent pulmonary toxicity while offering no advantage in response rate or survival duration.

Megestrol acetate used as primary hormonal therapy in stage D prostatic cancer.

The majority of patients with advanced prostatic cancer respond either to castration or estrogen therapy. In an attempt to identify an alternative hormonal therapy, 25 symptomatic stage D prostate cancer patients were treated with megestrol acetate as initial hormonal therapy. Thirty-three patients were evaluable for response as defined by the National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria. Partial remission was observed in 11 patients and stable disease in 5, with an overall response rate of 70%. The projected median duration of response and survival were 10 and 20 months, respectively. Weight gain was common, but only two patients showed evidence of fluid retention. Gynecomastia, thromboembolic episodes, and gastrointestinal side effects were not observed in this group of patients, though two patients had increased pain shortly after therapy was initiated. Thus, in advanced prostatic cancer, megestrol acetate is effective primary therapy with minimal side effects.

Primary hormonal therapy of advanced breast cancer with megestrol acetate: predictive value of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor levels.

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels in human breast cancer have been shown to have value in predicting response to a variety of hormonal therapies. However, the relationships between steroid receptor levels and tumor response and survival in patients treated with progestational agents for primary hormonal therapy have not been clearly defined. Forty-three advanced breast cancer patients, whose tumors had been assayed for ER and PR were treated with megestrol acetate as initial hormonal therapy. Twenty-five patients had ER and PR levels greater than 10 femtomole/mg cytosol protein, and the median ER and PR levels for the entire group were 114 fmol/mg and 100 fmol/mg, respectively. The overall response rate (complete and partial) was 46%, with a median duration of response of 66 weeks. Seventy percent of patients whose ER and PR were greater than 10 fmol/mg responded: Step-wise discriminant analysis showed that ER and PR were significantly related to response and that PR was the best predictor of response (P = .0034). Similarly, both ER and PR were significantly related to survival (P = .0001 for PR and P = .021 for ER). These data indicate that megestrol acetate is effective primary hormonal therapy in advanced breast cancer patients, and that ER and PR levels were significantly related to response and to survival duration. PR proved to be the best predictor of response in this group of patients.