Combination chemotherapy in metastatic carcinoma of the breast. Results with a three-drug combination.
Forty-two patients with Stage IV carcinoma of the breast were treated with an oral program of combination chemotherapy consisting of three drugs: methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and cyclophosphamide (substituting 1, 3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in cases with central nervous system involvement). Sixty-four percent of the patients responded to the therapy, with a mean and a median duration of remission of 10.7 and 10.0 months, and a mean and median survival of 12.3 and 13 months. This therapeutic program is equally effective for pre- and postmenopausal patients and does not appear to be influenced by prior response to hormonal manipulation, single or combination drug therapy, or duration of disease. The results are comparable to those shown by previous authors. Toxicity in this group, however, was minimal, and patient acceptance excellent.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis
D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate