Purpose: To compare the clinical activity of the pure antiestrogen fulvestrant at 500 mg/mo (double the approved dose) with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole as first-line endocrine therapy for advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
Patients and methods: FIRST (Fulvestrant First-Line Study Comparing Endocrine Treatments) is a phase II, randomized, open-label, multicenter study of a fulvestrant high-dose (HD) regimen (500 mg/mo plus 500 mg on day 14 of month 1) versus anastrozole (1 mg/d). The primary efficacy end point was clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as the proportion of patients experiencing an objective response (OR) or stable disease for > or = 24 weeks. The primary analysis was performed 6 months after the last patient was randomly assigned.
Results: CBR was similar for fulvestrant HD (n = 102) and anastrozole (n = 103), 72.5% v 67.0%, respectively (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.38; P = .386). Objective response rate (ORR) was also similar between treatments: fulvestrant HD, 36.0%; anastrozole, 35.5%. Time to progression (TTP) was significantly longer for fulvestrant versus anastrozole (median TTP not reached for fulvestrant HD v 12.5 months for anastrozole; hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.39 to 1.00; P = .0496). Duration of OR and CB also numerically favored fulvestrant HD. Both treatments were well tolerated, with no significant differences in the incidence of prespecified adverse events.
Conclusion: First-line fulvestrant HD was at least as effective as anastrozole for CBR and ORR and was associated with significantly longer TTP. Fulvestrant HD was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to that of anastrozole.