Skip Navigation



Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on October 27, 2009
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp450
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Doyen, J.
Right arrow Articles by Thyss, A.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Doyen, J.
Right arrow Articles by Thyss, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Aromatase inhibition in male breast cancer patients: biological and clinical implications

J. Doyen1, A. Italiano1,*, R. Largillier1, J.-M. Ferrero1, X. Fontana2 and A. Thyss1

1 Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Antoine-Lacassagne, Nice, France
2 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre Antoine-Lacassagne, Nice, France

* Correspondence to: Dr A. Italiano, Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Bergonié, 229 cours de l'Argonne, 33000 Bordeaux, France. Tel: +33-4-92-03-14-97; Fax: +33-4-92-03-10-46; E-mail: italiano{at}bergonie.org

Background: The role of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and their impact on estradiol (E2) levels remain unknown in male breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Patients and methods: MBC patients with metastatic disease and those treated with AIs were selected from the breast cancer database of the Centre Antoine-Lacassagne (Nice, France). Sex hormone levels were retrospectively assessed on serum samples from our institutional serum bank.

Results: Fifteen patients entered the study. Two patients (13%) had complete response, four patients (27%) had partial response, two patients (13%) had stable disease and seven patients (47%) had progressive disease. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1–8.6] and 33 months (95% CI 18.4–47.6), respectively. All assessable patients (n = 6) had E2 levels less than the lower limit of the assay during AI treatment. Among them, three had partial response, one had stable disease and two had progressive disease. A large increase in follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and E2 levels was observed in one responding patient at progression.

Conclusions: AIs are active in MBC patients. This activity is correlated with a significant reduction in E2 levels. Secondary resistance is in part related to a deleterious feedback loop resulting in a significant increase in substrate for aromatization.

anastrozole, aromatase inhibitors, exemestane, letrozole, male breast cancer

Received for publication July 26, 2009. Accepted for publication August 5, 2009.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.