Goserelin, a depot gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist in the treatment of premenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer. German Zoladex Trial Group.

One hundred thirty-four pre- and perimenopausal patients presenting with metastatic breast cancer (median age, 42 years; range, 25 to 55) were treated with goserelin (Zoladex [ICI 118 630]; ICI Pharma, Plankstadt, Germany) a long-acting gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-analogue depot formulation, injected subcutaneously every 4 weeks, as a first-line therapy. One hundred eighteen patients were evaluable for response. Serum concentrations of estradiol, luteinizing hormones (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormones were significantly suppressed by Zoladex. Mean serum estradiol values fell into the range of castrated or postmenopausal women within 2 to 3 weeks of therapy. This suppression was maintained for the duration of therapy. Overall objective response was: 12 (10.2%) complete remission; 41 (34.7%) partial remission; 33 (28.0%) no change; and 32 (27.1%) progression. In responders, the median time to response was 4 months (range, 2 to 11 months), median duration of response was 8 + months (range 2 t...