Corticosteroids in Therapy of Advanced Mammary Cancer

Abstract

A series of 154 cases of advanced breast cancer treated by corticoids is reported. With objective criteria of response, only 12 of 105 cases treated by prednisolone or dexamethasone alone showed a response. There appears to be no proved advantage in exceeding a dose of 30 mg. of prednisolone daily except for a “loading does” in the emergencies of hypercalcaemia and cerebral and pulmonary metastases. A previous history of sex hormone insensitivity does not significantly influence response to corticoids, nor, in this series, does the age- group. Evidence is presented suggesting that the benefits of corticoid therapy may have a different mechanism from those due to sex-hormone control in breast carcinoma. Objective response to corticoids is, in general, not as prolonged nor as complete as that following adrenalectomy, but subjective benefit is noted in a considerable proportion of cases. Combination with an alkylating agent gives remarkable, although short-lived, palliation of intrathoracic metastases. © 1963, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.