Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023380 (lethargy)
 5,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Trilostane, which causes a perturbation of adrenal steroidogenesis, was studied in combination with hydrocortisone in 32 women with progressive metastatic breast cancer. Trilostane was administered orally at a dosage level of 240 mg four times daily after escalation over the first 10 days from 60 mg four times daily. Hydrocortisone was given orally at doses of 10 mg at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 20 mg at bedtime. Patients must have been postmenopausal (81%) or previously castrated (19%), had a response to the hormonal treatment just prior to study (81%) or a positive estrogen receptor at time of entry on study (41%), and a measurable indicator lesion. The number of prior hormonal therapies was 1 in 19 patients (59%), 2 in 12 patients (38%), and 3 in 1 patient (3%), respectively. Twelve patients (38%) achieved an objective response, and a 95% confidence interval for this result is from 21 to 56%. The median time to disease progression was 140 days, median duration of response was 278 days, and median survival was 556 days. Common toxicities included lethargy, lightheadedness, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. Eleven patients required a dosage reduction, usually because of gastrointestinal side effects, and one additional patient had the trilostane discontinued because of leukopenia. We conclude that the combination of trilostane plus hydrocortisone appears to have definite antitumor activity in women with metastatic breast cancer who have characteristics favorable for response to hormonal therapy.
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PMID:Evaluation of trilostane plus hydrocortisone in women with metastatic breast cancer and prior hormonal therapy exposure. 231 87

The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) conducted a pilot study of combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil plus aminoglutethimide (250 mg three times daily with hydrocortisone supplementation of 40 mg daily) as primary therapy for estrogen receptor-positive or unknown advanced breast carcinoma to assess whether these agents can be safely combined and to provide a preliminary estimate of response rate. A total of 47 patients, 45 with metastatic breast cancer and two with stage IV disease who were rendered clinically disease free following surgical resection of chest wall recurrence, were treated. Leukopenia and mucositis were the most frequent toxicities requiring dose reduction, but only five patients (10.6%; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-18.4%) experienced life-threatening leukopenia (less than 1000/mm3) at some point during their therapy. Neurologic side effects attributed to aminoglutethimide, predominantly lethargy, were reported in less than one-third of patients, and rarely required dose reduction. One elderly patient developed clinical hypothyroidism during the first 3 months on therapy and experienced a cardiac arrest at home while receiving supplemental thyroid hormones. The overall complete plus partial response rate in 45 patients was 55.5% (95% confidence interval, 41-70%). Among 16 patients with measurable disease, the complete plus partial response rate was 75% (95% confidence interval, 54-96%). The complete plus partial response rate in 29 patients with nonmeasurable but evaluable disease was 45% (95% confidence interval, 27-63%) and an additional 14% had improvement in bone pain. Eight patients electively discontinued chemotherapy after 7-24 months of therapy, but continued aminoglutethimide. The median time to disease progression is 462 days (15.4 months); 25% of patients died by 552 days (18.4 months), and the median duration of survival is predicted to be 889 days (29.6 months). We conclude that aminoglutethimide can be combined with this doxorubicin-based regimen with acceptable toxicity and an overall response rate which is similar to that observed on prior ECOG trials with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil.
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PMID:A phase II evaluation of combination chemotherapy plus aminoglutethimide in women with metastatic or recurrent breast carcinoma. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Pilot Study. 317 53

A progress report is presented on two on-going clinical trials in women with advanced breast cancer. In Trial I to date, 56 patients have been randomized to tamoxifen (TAM) alone or TAM plus aminoglutethimide (AG) (plus hydrocortisone). Patients failing TAM can then receive AG. The two groups are reasonably well balanced with respect to prior hormonal therapy exposure (TAM, 19%; TAM plus AG, 17%), age, disease-free interval, performance score, and estrogen receptor status. The TAM plus AG group has a higher incidence of visceral dominant disease (41 versus 26%) and prior chemotherapy exposure (41 versus 33%). Responses have been observed in 7 of 27 (26%) patients on TAM and 11 of 28 (39%) on TAM plus AG. Median times to treatment failure (defined as disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or patient refusal) are 211 and 123 days, respectively (log-rank on time to treatment failure, p = 0.87). Toxicity is greater for TAM plus AG with a higher incidence of skin rash, lethargy, and dizziness. Thrombotic events were seen in one patient on TAM and two patients on TAM plus AG. One patient on TAM plus AG developed leukopenia and sepsis. The data are too preliminary for one to draw firm conclusions regarding relative efficacy. In TRial II to date, 35 patients with prior tamoxifen exposure have received AG. The mean number of prior systemic therapies is 3.2 (range, 1 to 7). The response rate is 20% and similar with (21%) or without (19%) prior chemotherapy exposure. The median time to treatment failure is 92 days. One patient developed leukopenia and sepsis. Additional patient accrual is necessary to allow characterization of potential efficacy within prognostically important subsets.
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PMID:Progress report on two clinical trials in women with advanced breast cancer. Trial I: tamoxifen versus tamoxifen plus aminoglutethimide. Trial II: aminoglutethimide in patients with prior tamoxifen exposure. 704 29

In order to determine the natural history and results of treatment of intracerebral metastases in solid-tumor patients, the records of 191 patients with an antemortem diagnosis of intracerebral metastasis made during the period from August 1974 to November 1978 were reviewed. Malignancies included lung (122 patients), breast (26), unknown primary (16), melanoma (8), colorectal (6), hypernephroma (4), and others (12). Favorable prognostic factors included solitary brain metastasis (P less than 0.001), ambulatory performance status (P less than 0.001), symptoms of headache (P less than 0.001), or visual disturbances (P less than 0.02), and estrogen receptor positivity in breast cancer patients (P = 0.055). Poor prognostic factors included advanced age (P less than 0.04) and evidence of impaired consciousness, i.e., disorientation, lethargy, stupor, or coma (P less than 0.007). Median survival time after diagnosis of intracerebral metastasis was 3.7 months for the entire series. In those patients with a single intracerebral metastasis and minimal tumor burden, the type of treatment used had a significant impact on survival. Those cases treated with surgery and radiation had a median survival time of 9.7 months versus 3.7 months for those treated with radiation alone (P less than 0.02). When using a proportional hazard regression analysis to adjust for the three most important prognostic factors, treatment (surgery and radiation versus radiation alone) still appeared to be important. Intracerebral metastases were the immediate or contributing cause of death in 50% of the patients in this series. Patients at greater risk of dying of intracerebral metastases included those in whom the brain was the first site of distant metastasis, those with an intracerebral metastasis from an unknown primary site, and those whose presentation of malignancy was with symptoms of a brain metastasis. Although the therapeutic goal in intracerebral metastases is generally palliative, it appears that there are categories of cases that may benefit from more aggressive treatment.
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PMID:Intracerebral metastases in solid-tumor patients: natural history and results of treatment. 723 7

Aminoglutethimide (AG) with Dexamethasone has been utilized in 26 patients with metastatic breast cancer who had prior response to hormonal manipulation and/or positive estrogen receptor. Objective tumor response (CR + PR) has been achieved in 13 of 26 patients. Responses were seen in soft tissue, bone, and pleura. Six of 26 patients had stable disease and seven of 26 patients had progressive disease. The median duration of response is 12.8 months. The median survival for the responders has not been reached. Non-responding patients had a median survival of five months. Side effects were minimal, including mild lethargy, rash, fever, and weight gain. This regimen is well tolerated and can be used effectively in metastatic hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.
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PMID:Aminoglutethimide in the management of metastatic breast cancer. 746 86