[A case of disseminated breast cancer successfully treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate]

Abstract

We reported the successful treatment of disseminated breast cancer with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). The patient was a 52-year-old female with brain and bone metastasis developed 1 year after surgery. The primary tumor was ER-positive, and she had been treated previously with adjuvant therapy consisting of UFT and tamoxifen. Brain metastasis was surgically removed, but the following combination chemotherapy (epirubicin and vindesine) failed to result in further improvement. Then MPA (1,200 mg/day) was administered as the second-line therapy. After 6 months, multiple bone lesions showed remarkable calcification (PR) and disappeared completely (CR) 13 months later. But the patient was forced to discontinue MPA because of uncontrollable hyperglycemia. At this writing, CR was still being continued and the patient was enjoying favorable quality of life without any treatment. We confirmed that MPA was effective as the second-line treatment for disseminated breast cancer.