Study: Fulvestrant May Help After Other Breast Cancer Therapies Fail

Fulvestrant, a new anti-estrogen therapy from a class of agents known as selective estrogen receptor downregulators, may help women with advanced breast cancer who have failed other hormonal therapies, according to Austrial researchers.

In a report presented at the European Cancer Conference, the researchers described results of a relatively small study, involving 67 patients who were followed for periods ranging from 4 to 23 months.

Three of the women received fulvestrant as first-line therapy, but one-third received it as second-line therapy, 45 percent received it as third-line therapy, and 15 patients received it as a fourth-line therapy.

Other hormonal therapies they had used, which had failed, include tamoxifen, anastrozole and exemestane.

Over the course of follow-up, two women receiving fulvestrant as second-line therapy showed a partial response, as did three receiving it as a third-line therapy, indicating the drug can be effective even in patients that have been heavily treated with other drugs.

Dr. Guenther Steger of the University of Vienna said there was no evidence of cross-resistance between this drug and the other hormonal therapies.

"From this perspective, these data suggest that patients with both ER-positive and progestin receptor positive status may gain some benefit from fulvestrant treatment," Steger said.

Other Sources: European Cancer Conference