MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE IN TREATMENT OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (HYPERNEPHROMA)

Medroxyprogesterone acetate, a potent synthetic progestational steroid, was administered to 23 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Seven patients received 300 mg/d orally. Six patients received 100 mg/d intramuscularly of the commercial preparation Provera. Ten patients were given 400 mg/w intramuscularly of an investigational preparation. Twenty‐one patients completed a minimum treatment period of 6 weeks and were considered evaluable. There were one complete and two partial objective remissions to the parenteral preparations. No responses were observed with the oral preparation. The dose to response varied from 5.2 to 9.0 Gm and the duration of response from 4 to 30+ months. There did not appear to be a correlation of response with age, duration of disease, or histologic grade or cell type. A “symptom status” indicating severe disability from disease did adversely affect response. Minimal side effects were weakness in two patients, loss of libido in one male patient and minimal signs of virilism in one female patient. Eleven patients who showed progressive disease after an adequate trial of medroxyprogesterone acetate received further treatment with testosterone. There was one partial objective response of 5 months' duration. These results are superior to those obtained with chemotherapy. Copyright © 1968 American Cancer Society