estramustine and Remission--Spontaneous

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adrenalectomy; Aged; Animals; Castration; Cryosurgery; Estramustine; Estrogens; Growth Hormone; Hormones; Humans; Hypoglycemia; Hypophysectomy; Ketosteroids; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Postoperative Complications; Prostatic Neoplasms; Recurrence; Remission, Spontaneous

Estramustine phosphate (Estracyt) was used in the treatment of 154 patients with carcinoma of the prostate in stage IV. Sixty-three patients were given Estracyt from the outset (primary treatment group) and 91 had previously received some other endocrine therapy (secondary treatment group). All of the patients were observed for more than one year. The drug was given intravenously and/or orally. Objective remissions occurred in 46 (73.0%) of the 63 patients in the primary treatment group and subjective remissions in all the objective responders and in 12 additional patients (92.0%). The corresponding figures for the secondary treatment group were 28 (30.7%) and 52 (57.1%) of 91. The side-effects were negligible, and the drug was well tolerated. No cumulative toxic effect was observed in patients who had been receiving the treatment for more than five years. In our opinion the compound is valuable in the treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma (stage IV).

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Administration, Oral; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Evaluation; Estramustine; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Prostatic Neoplasms; Remission, Spontaneous

Twenty-six patients (14 men and 12 women) with histologically proven advanced malignant melanoma, who previously had not responded to DTIC, methyl-CCNU, and procarbazine, received estramustine phosphate (estracyt) (15 mg/m2) in daily divided doses. All patients had measurable disease. One patient developed a complete remission and one patient had improvement in liver function without measurable regression in the tumor. In three other patients (11%), the disease remained static for a period of 3--5 months. The mean survival time from the beginning of therapy was 16.8 months for the patients with a response or static disease and 2.18 months for those who had no response. Gastrointestinal toxicity was minimal; no hematologic toxicity was observed. It appears that estramustine phosphate used as a single agent for treating advanced malignant melanoma after patients failed to respond to DTIC and to the combination of methyl-CCNU and procarbazine has a poor response rate.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Drug Evaluation; Estramustine; Female; Humans; Male; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Remission, Spontaneous; Time Factors

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Aged; Bone Neoplasms; Estramustine; Humans; Male; Neoplasm Metastasis; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiography; Remission, Spontaneous