Effect of prednisolone on hormone profiles during primary endocrine treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Various plasma hormones were measured in 13 pre- and 20 post-menopausal women with advanced breast cancer before and for 12 months after ovarian irradiation or during continuous administration of tamoxifen at a dose of 10 mg twice a day, respectively; some patients received additional prednisolone at a dose of 5 mg twice a day. These patients were taken from a larger clinical trial which demonstrated a higher response to primary endocrine therapy when prednisolone was added. Levels of dehydropiandrosterone sulfate were depressed in patients receiving prednisolone, confirming adrenal suppression. Estradiol levels were reduced in all patients, while luteinizing hormone and follicular stimulating hormone increased after ovarian irradiation, but all three hormones fell during tamoxifen administration; no further changes were caused by the addition of prednisolone. Prolactin and thyroxine remained constant throughout the study. There were no differences between responders and nonresponders in hormone profiles or in changes in the profiles after treatment.