Endocrine ablation in breast cancer XXXX who have failed cytotoxic therapy.

@entity1 @entity172 @entity158
Between 1972 and 1979, forty-six @entity1 underwent endocrine ablative surgery, having failed combinations of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery (including oophorectomy). All had clinically measurable disease; nearly half were afflicted with @entity158 . Each was judged to be a candidate for the procedure by @entity172 receptor studies (52%), response to L-dopa (39%), or response to prior oophorectomy (8%). All were followed to their death or to the present, with a minimum of 12 months for those alive. Thirty-one (67%) were improved, and disease was arrested in five (11%) for a median time of 13.5 months. There was no difference in response rates or intervals between @entity172 receptor-positive and L-dopa-positive groups. Response was not correlated with disease-free interval or menopausal status. Best results were achieved in those with metastases confined to an organ system, particularly the skeletal complex. The procedure is withheld in those with brain metastases. Postablative chemotherapy appeared to prolong the control interval, though numbers are small. The low morbidity and mortality (one death) of midline adrenaloophorectomy combined with the high incidence of recapture of disease leads us to recommend this procedure in appropriately selected @entity1 who have previously failed other therapeutic modalities.
