Effect of methenolone enanthate (NSC-64967) in advanced cancer of the breast

Abstract

Methenolone enanthate, a synthetic long-acting anabolic steroid, was evaluated by a randomized study in the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the breast in postmenopausal women following the protocol established by the Cooperative Breast Cancer Group. Of 27 patients receiving methenolone enanthate, (48%) had objective improvement. There were no improvements in 13 patients receiving testosterone propionate. The median duration of therapy and the median period of survival from the onset of hormone therapy to death or present living time was greater for the responders to methenolone enanthate than the nonresponders. The unusual high incidence of regression from methenolone enanthate therapy may be due to the massive dose employed, a defect in the method of study being employed in clinical trials, a difference that could occur by chance alone or a difference in the biological nature of the disease in the two groups. Since the difference may indicate that methenolene enanthate is an effective hormone, further studies are warranted.