Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Toremifene”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Biodistribution and scintigraphy of 11C-toremifene in rats bearing DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma.

A new antioestrogenic antitumour compound toremifene was labeled with 11C or 3H. The tissue distribution and tumour uptake of the compounds in DMBA induced breast tumour bearing rats was investigated. 11C-toremifene was localized by gamma camera scintigraphy and tissue counting. 3H-Toremifene was determined by liquid scintillation counting after oxidizing the tissue samples. Toremifene was distributed to several tissues due to the lipophilicity and was not taken up specifically by the tumours to any great extent. However, the radioactivity of the tumours increased as a function of time although it declined e.g. in the liver. The accumulation to the tumour was a slow process and cannot be followed up reliably by such short half-life radionuclides as 11C. The tumour uptake properties of toremifene resemble those of tamoxifen and several other oestrogen receptor binding compounds. These substances have limited use in diagnosing and imaging oestrogen receptor rich breast tumours in man.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Tamoxifen and toremifene in breast cancer: comparison of safety and efficacy.

PURPOSE: Tamoxifen is currently the standard hormonal treatment of breast cancer, both for metastatic disease and in the adjuvant setting. A new antiestrogen, toremifene, was approved recently for use in managing metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Toremifene is structurally similar to tamoxifen, differing only by a single chlorine atom, and has a similar pharmacologic profile. The major difference between the two compounds is in the preclinical activity; chronic, high-dose tamoxifen is hepatocarcinogenic in the rat, whereas toremifene is not. Neither agent is hepatocarcinogenic in mice, hamsters, or humans; therefore, clinical relevance of the rat data may not be significant. RESULTS: In a worldwide phase III trial, the two agents demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety against metastatic breast cancer. Both agents have shown a significant hypocholesterolemic effect after long-term administration. CONCLUSION: Due to the paucity of long-term clinical data on toremifene, important unresolved questions remain, which include its effects on bone mineral density, the frequency of cardiac events, and the risk for endometrial cancer. Tamoxifen has been associated with maintenance of bone mineral density, a reduction in cardiac events, and a slightly increased risk of endometrial cancer. Toremifene is not likely to be used as second-line therapy after tamoxifen failure due to cross-resistance, and its ultimate place in therapy of advanced breast cancer remains to be determined.

Animals↗

Cell proliferation in dimethylbenz(A)anthracene(DMBA)-induced rat mammary carcinoma treated with antiestrogen toremifene.

Cell proliferation during antiestrogen toremifene treatment was studied using the DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma model. The volume corrected mitotic index (M/V INDEX) and the S-phase fraction (SPF) determined by flow cytometry (FCM) were used as proliferation markers. Two series of rats (A and B) treated with two dose levels of toremifene were used. The two series of tumors appeared to have different growth properties. In series A the tumors were rapidly growing with high proliferation rate. In this series, toremifene (3 mg/kg for 4 weeks) reduced significantly the mean MV/INDEX, but the slight reduction of the mean SPF was not significant. In series B the tumors grew slowly and had low levels of proliferation markers. One-third of the tumors were spontaneously stable in the untreated group. Higher dose of toremifene was used in this series (12 mg/kg for 4 weeks), and the number of regressing or stable tumors was 58% compared with 31% in series A. Taking into consideration the high number of spontaneously stable tumors in series B, it may be concluded that about one-third of the tumors regressed or remained stable due to toremifene treatment in both series. The reduction of the M/V INDEX was significant only when the regressing treated tumors were compared with the growing controls. The reduction of the SPF was not significant. We think that the M/V INDEX is a more appropriate method to measure cell proliferation than is the SPF in this tumor model, where the tumors are heterogenous and, e.g., spontaneous apoptosis is known to be frequent.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Synergistic antitumour effect of a combination of toremifene and interferon-alpha on ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cells: dependence on interferon-alpha subtype.

We investigated the effect of toremifene, interferon-alpha2a, interferon-alpha2b and interferon-alpha2c, singly and in combination for their effect on the growth of ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cells. Median effect analysis was used to determine synergistic or additive effects. Anti-proliferative studies showed that the growth of ZR-75-1 cells was inhibited to a greater extent by combination treatment with toremifene plus interferon-alpha2a, resulting in a synergistic interaction (CI <1) for all concentrations tested. A combination of toremifene plus interferon-alpha2b resulted in a synergistic interaction (CI <1) for the two highest concentrations of toremifene (10(-6) and 10(-7) M) and an additive effect (CI approximately equal to 1) for the lower concentrations (10(-8) to 10(-10) M). When toremifene was combined with interferon-alpha2c no additive or synergistic interaction was determined.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Effects of toremifene and its main metabolites on growth of breast cancer cell lines.

The effects of toremifene, an antiestrogen, and its two main metabolites (4-hydroxy- and N-desmethyltoremifene) on cell proliferation have been tested in a series of breast cancer cell lines, with positive (MCF7, ZR 75.1, T47D, 734B) or negative steroid receptor status (MDA-MB 231, BT20). Drug effects were evaluated at concentrations similar to those obtained in breast cancer patients on toremifene treatment, and in the presence or absence of estradiol. Results showed that, for both positive and negative cell lines, high concentrations of the antiestrogens (10(-6)M) were inhibitory, while lower doses (10(-7)M, 10(-8)M) were stimulatory. These data confirm the biphasic behaviour of toremifene and its derivatives. In terms of a clinical application of toremifene, these results seem to suggest that while high doses of toremifene and its derivatives might be therapeutic, lower concentrations might stimulate cell growth and enhance tumor progression.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Additive and synergistic effects of a novel antiestrogen, toremifene (Fc-1157a), and human interferons on estrogen responsive MCF-7 cells in vitro.

The effect of human interferons alpha and gamma alone and in combination with a novel antiestrogen toremifene were studied in vitro using MCF-7 cell line, an estrogen receptor positive and antiestrogen sensitive cell line. The effects were evaluated by a simple bioluminescence method with which the number of living cells was obtained as cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. The growth of MCF-7 cells was inhibited both by interferon alpha and interferon gamma. At least additive effect was evident when the cells were exposed to combination of interferons and toremifene: the combination was additive with interferon gamma + toremifene and synergistic with interferon alpha + toremifene. The combination of toremifene and interferons may have clinical importance.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Phase II and III clinical trials of toremifene for metastatic breast cancer.

Toremifene (Fareston) received FDA approval in 1997 for the first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive or -unknown metastatic breast cancer. Phase II and III trials have demonstrated that first-line therapy with toremifene, 60 mg/d, is as effective and as well tolerated as tamoxifen (Nolvadex), 20 or 40 mg/d, in such patients. To date, phase III trials have failed to show a statistically significant advantage of higher toremifene doses over standard doses of tamoxifen in these women. Studies appeared to indicate minimal efficacy of high toremifene doses in women with ER-negative tumors, but the number of patients studied was small. Although results of some trials of high-dose (240 mg/d) toremifene in tamoxifen-"refractory" patients were negative, other trials that included prolonged (> or = 6 months) stable disease as an indication of clinical benefit yielded positive results.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Uterotrophic effects of tamoxifen, toremifene, and raloxifene do not predict endometrial cell proliferation in the ovariectomized CD1 mouse.

The uterotrophic responses of ovariectomized CD1 mice to tamoxifen, toremifene, and raloxifene have been compared to 17beta-estradiol after a treatment period of 72 h. Uterine and vaginal weight, luminal epithelial thickening, and 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index in the endometrial stroma were examined. All three pharmaceuticals, as well as 17beta-estradiol, produced increases in the classic estrogen-dependent variables of uterine and vaginal weights after the 3-day treatment period. Tamoxifen, toremifene, raloxifene, and estradiol all increased luminal epithelial thickness, and increased the BrdU labeling index in the endometrial stroma of the uterus. Although the dose response for the uterotrophic effect and the vaginal weight increases for toremifene differed from tamoxifen and raloxifene, in that there was no dose at which these effects were maximal, the stimulation of BrdU labeling index in the endometrial stroma was dose dependent and very similar for all three, at the clinically relevant doses. Treatment-related hypertrophic effects were estimated by examination of the nuclear profile density in the endometrial stroma. Estradiol and tamoxifen caused a greater hypertrophic effect than toremifene and raloxifene, indicating that factors other than an increase in cell number contribute to the overall uterotrophic effect. This demonstrates that the use of uterine weight to estimate the relative estrogenicity of drugs could give a misleading impression of the response of the uterus to estrogen agonists. Variables, such as increased DNA replication, which may be more important to a subsequent potential carcinogenic process in the uterus, for a particular drug, requires separate evaluation.

Animals↗

High dose toremifene for estrogen and progesterone receptor negative metastatic breast cancer: a phase II trial of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB).

In pre-clinical and limited clinical studies, high doses ( > or = 200 mg/day) of the triphenylethylene derivative toremifene showed activity in estrogen receptor (ER) negative and ER-unknown metastatic breast cancer after progression on tamoxifen, and a mechanism of action independent of hormone receptor binding was speculated. The CALGB conducted a Phase II trial (CALGB 8945) to test the efficacy of high dose toremifene in a population of patients who had hormone receptor-negative, metastatic breast cancer with limited prior chemotherapy exposure, good performance status, and measurable disease. Twenty eligible patients received toremifene at a dose of 400 mg/day orally for 8 weeks. Toxicity was minimal. Nausea was reported by 20% of the patients, lightheadedness by 20%, weight loss by 20%, and hot flashes by 15%. There was no grade 3-4 toxicity. No objective responses were observed, and 5 of 6 patients with stable disease at 8 weeks developed progressive disease at 11 to 33 weeks. High dose toremifene (400 mg/day) is well-tolerated but imparts no detectable activity in hormone receptor-negative, metastatic breast cancer.

Administration, Oral↗

Effects of the antiestrogen toremifene on growth of the human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7.

The effects of toremifene, a new antiestrogenic drug, were investigated in vitro on the exponentially growing human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7. The drug effects were monitored by serial cell counts and DNA flow cytometry. The inhibitory effect of toremifene on MCF-7 became greater as the drug concentration was increased from 1 microM to 10 microM. At 5 microM toremifene induced a large decrease in the relative percentages of S- and G2/M-phase cells, and an increase in the amount of cell debris, indicating increased cell death. After withdrawal of the drug the mammary cancer cells resumed logarithmic growth similar to that of control cells. The effects caused by toremifene were similar to those caused by tamoxifen both in quality and quantity.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

The immunological status of breast cancer patients during treatment with a new antiestrogen, toremifene.

The immune status of breast cancer patients was followed during antiestrogen treatment for at least 1 year or until progression of the disease. Twelve post-menopausal women with advanced estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer were treated with a novel antiestrogen, toremifene. Immune functions were determined before the start of the treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months. For NK cell cytotoxicity testing there were 74 healthy controls and for T cell subset measurements 28 healthy controls. No statistically significant changes in the T cell subsets or NK cell cytotoxicity were observed during treatment. However, throughout toremifene treatment patients had fewer CD4 cells (T helper lymphocytes) than did the controls. Cancer patients had higher pretreatment B cell values than the controls, P = 0.01, but during the first months of toremifene treatment B cell values decreased and remained within the normal range thereafter. A positive effect on mitogen-stimulation tests with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) was observed during the first months of treatment (P = 0.01 for PHA and 0.03 for log [ConA] and a stabilization at the higher level thereafter. These results indicate that toremifene has a stimulatory effect on cell-mediated immunity in breast cancer patients.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Influence of age on toremifene pharmacokinetics.

Toremifene pharmacokinetics were compared in ten healthy young men (< 33 years) and elderly women (< 65 years). A single oral 120-mg dose of toremifene was given after an overnight fast and blood samples were collected over 28 days. Serum levels of the parent drug and the metabolites were determined; appropriate pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and statistically evaluated. Toremifene peak concentrations (average 640 ng/ml) were achieved at 3.5 h. The area under the curve (AUC) and the apparent oral clearance were comparable in the young and elderly subjects. The half-life was prolonged (4.2 versus 7.2 days) and the apparent volume of distribution was increased (457 versus 627 1) in the elderly. The peak concentration of the main metabolite N-demethyltoremifene was lower (159 versus 233 ng/ml) and the half-life was prolonged (8.3 versus 19.1 days) in the elderly subjects, but the AUC values were comparable. The results suggest that toremifene is distributed more widely in the elderly but that its clearance is unaffected by age. It is concluded that the dosage requirement of the drug is unlikely to differ between young and elderly subjects.

Adult↗

Activity of high-dose toremifene plus cisplatin in platinum-treated non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase II California Cancer Consortium Trial.

PURPOSE: Although cisplatin is an important agent in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), de novo resistance is common and acquired resistance emerges rapidly during therapy. Proposed mediators of platinum resistance include the protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathway and associated c-FOS overexpression. While estrogen administration has been reported to upregulate PKC and c-FOS expression, the triphenylethylenes tamoxifen and toremifene potentiate platinum cytotoxicity by inhibition of PKC. Downregulation of c-FOS expression has been reported to result from PKC inhibition. In view of these findings, we hypothesized that toremifene would reverse platinum resistance and that this interaction would be influenced by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A phase II trial of high-dose toremifene (600 mg orally daily on days 1-7) plus cisplatin (50 mg/m2 intravenously on days 4 and 11) every 28 days in NSCLC patients was conducted. A group of 30 patients with metastatic NSCLC who had been previously treated with platinum-based therapy were enrolled. RESULTS: All of the 30 patients were assessable for toxicity and 28 for tumor response. Therapy was well tolerated with minimal hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity. Common toxicity criteria grade 3 hematologic toxicity was seen in only three patients. Five patients achieved a partial response for an overall response rate of 18% (95% CI 6-37). Median overall survival was 8.1 months (95% CI 5.4-17). To assess PKC, ER, and c-Fos expression by immunohistochemistry, 12 informative pretreatment patient tumor specimens were obtained. Four patient tumor specimens were positive for one or both PKC isoforms (alpha and epsilon) while c-Fos was overexpressed in three. None of the responding patient tumors exhibited c-FOS or PKC-epsilon overexpression. ER expression was found to be infrequent (8%), contrasting with previous reports in this tumor type. CONCLUSION: While this phase II study indicates that high-dose toremifene plus cisplatin is feasible, active, and well tolerated in NSCLC patients previously treated with platinum compounds, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Further study of this regimen is warranted.

Adult↗

Effect of toremifene on the activity of NK-cells in NZB/NZW mice.

The effect of toremifene on NK-cells isolated from the spleen of NZB/NZW mice was studied in comparison to tamoxifen and estradiol. Unlike estradiol but like tamoxifen, toremifene did not influence the activity of NK-cells. Low doses (0.1 and 10.0 mg/kg) of toremifene did not suppress, but a high dose of toremifene and tamoxifen (50 mg/kg for 6 weeks) suppressed the stimulating effect of human interferon alpha on the cells.

Animals↗

Metabolism of toremifene in the rat.

Toremifene was labelled to a specific activity of about 20 microCi/mmol with tritium at positions 3 and 5 in the para-substituted phenyl ring. At these positions tritium is not eliminated within the metabolic pathways. A mixture of unlabelled and labelled toremifene (5 or 10 mg/kg, 5 microCi/mg) was given i.v. or p.o. to Sprague-Dawley rats. The elimination of radioactivity was followed up by collecting urine and feces daily for 13 days. The elimination of toremifene which was similar after p.o. and i.v. administration took place mainly in the feces. About 70% of the total radioactivity was eliminated within 13 days, of this amount more than 90% in the feces. All applied radioactivity could be detected in three separate fractions according to the oxidative state of the side chain when counted by Berthold TLC Linear Analyzer. Each fraction was further separated into single metabolites by TLC or HPLC. Altogether 9 metabolites were identified and almost all methanol-extractable components were identified. The main metabolic pathways in the rat were 4-hydroxylation and N-demethylation. The side chain was further oxidized to alcohols and carboxylic acids. Small amounts of unchanged toremifene were found in the feces both after p.o. and i.v. administration indicating biliary secretion.

Administration, Oral↗

Antitumor effects of combination toremifene and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in vitro and in vivo.

The estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptor levels in various gynecological tumors were measured. The same tumors were exposed in vitro to toremifene, MPA or their combination and the growth of the tumors was followed by measuring the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the cells by a simple bioluminescence assay. Altogether 34 clinical samples were studied. DMBA-induced mammary tumors bearing rats were treated in vivo with toremifene, MPA and their combination. About half of the ovarian cancers and 6 out of the 7 adenocarcinomas of uteri contained ER. The ovarian tumors were PgR rich in 25% and adenocarcinomas of uteri in 6 out of the 7 cases. When compared to control toremifene (concentration 1 mumol/l) was able to decrease the number of living cells to 50% or less in 9/34 samples, MPA (concentration 10 mumol/l) in 17/34 samples, and the combination in 25/34 samples. In five cases the antitumor effect of the combination was synergistic. In two cases signs of weak antagonism were seen. In vivo the antitumor effect of toremifene and MPA was clearly synergistic against DMBA-induced cancers. The effect was dose-dependent and at sufficiently high doses it was possible to eradicate the tumors and cure the animals.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Toremifene: an evaluation of its safety profile.

Toremifene has been in clinical use for 8 years for the treatment of advanced hormone-sensitive breast cancer and the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. More than 350,000 patient treatment years have accumulated, sufficient to allow evaluation of its longer-term safety profile in comparison with tamoxifen and, where possible, with raloxifene and aromatase inhibitors. We reviewed all preclinical and clinical safety data from 1978 to 2004 and comparative clinical safety data between October 1995 and the end of 2004. Secondary endometrial cancer incidence was lower with toremifene than with tamoxifen and was similar to that with raloxifene. It is speculated that toremifene may unmask existing endometrial tumors rather than induce new events. The risk of stroke, pulmonary embolism, and cataract may be lower with toremifene than with tamoxifen and the risk of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis lower than with raloxifene. Beneficial estrogen agonistic effects were equivalent to those of tamoxifen regarding bone mineral density and superior regarding lipid profiles.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Changes in bone mineral density during and after 3 years' use of tamoxifen or toremifene.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of tamoxifen and toremifene on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. METHODS: Seventy patients with stage II-III breast cancer were randomized to start either tamoxifen (n = 36; 20 mg per day) or toremifene (n = 34; 40 mg per day) for 3 years. BMD in the lumbar spine and in the proximal femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry both before and during the treatment and 1 year after the discontinuation of the anti-estrogens. RESULTS: The baseline BMD measurements were comparable between the groups. In 3 years, lumbar BMD decreased by 1.7% in tamoxifen (P = 0.048) and 3.0% in toremifene (P = 0.001) users (ns between the groups), and femoral neck BMD by 0.9% (P = 0.040) and 1.3% (P = ns), respectively. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) until the diagnosis of breast cancer was associated with decreases in lumbar BMD during anti-estrogen regimen (4% at 3 years) in contrast to unchanged lumbar BMD in women with no previous use of HRT. During the 1st year after the cessation of anti-estrogen, lumbar BMD did not change at all in either group whereas femoral BMD decreased in both the groups at the rate of 1.5-3.2%, as expected. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that tamoxifen (20 mg) and toremifene (40 mg) have similar bone-sparing efficacy that in lumbar spine extends up to 1 year after the cessation of these regimens. This effect is not seen in lumbar spine BMD in those postmenopausal women who discontinue HRT at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗