LHRH Agonist Matches Ovariectomy Results: SWOG

PARIS--The luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonistgoserelin (Zoladex) proved as effective as surgical ovariectomyin premenopausal women with estrogen and/or progestogen receptor-positivemetastatic breast cancer, a randomized multicenter study has shown.

Investigator Charles W. Taylor of the University of Arizona, Tucson,presented the results of the study, SWOG 8692, at the Sixth InternationalCongress on Anti-Cancer Treatment. The trial was conducted byinvestigators from the Southwestern Oncology Group, North CentralCancer Treatment Group, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

The 135 participants in this study were assigned to undergo eithersurgical ovariectomy or treatment with monthly subcutaneous injectionsof goserelin, 3.6 mg. None had undergone previous chemotherapyor hormonal therapy, except in the adjuvant setting, and nonehad brain metastases or life-threatening lung or liver metastases.

Dr. Taylor reported that both failure-free and overall survivalwere equivalent with the two modes of ovarian ablation. The timeto treatment failure averaged 3 months in surgically treated patientsand 6 months in the goserelin group; median overall survival rateswere 33 months and 35 months, respectively. Rates of objectivetumor regression were similarly low in both treatment groups.