Guideline, 1997
Can a hormone test predict which women will respond to bromocriptine for cyclical breast pain?
Yes. Women with an abnormal prolactin response to a hormone test were much more likely to improve with bromocriptine than those with normal response (73.6% versus 23.5%).
What they did
36 women with moderate-to-severe cyclical breast pain received a TRH hormone test to measure their prolactin response. Based on whether their response was normal or abnormal, they were treated with either bromocriptine or progesterone with anti-inflammatory medication.
What they found
Bromocriptine 2.5 mg twice daily for 3 to 6 months was effective in 73.6% of patients with abnormal prolactin response and only 23.5% with normal response. Among patients with normal response or who did not respond to bromocriptine, 76.9% had a favorable response to progesterone and NSAIDs.
What it means for you
A simple TRH hormone test might help predict which women with cyclical breast pain will benefit from bromocriptine, potentially saving time and medication costs. The study was small with only 36 women, so results need confirmation in larger studies before this approach could be widely recommended.
36
women with cyclical breast pain
73.6%
response rate to bromocriptine with abnormal test
23.5%
response rate to bromocriptine with normal test
About the study
- Original title
- Prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone as a guideline for cyclical mastalgia treatment
- Authors
- Rea N, Bove F, Gentile A et al.
- Journal
- Minerva medica
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Guideline
- What was tested
- TRH hormone test to guide treatment with bromocriptine or progesterone with NSAIDs
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9433398/
Topics
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