Weekly low-dose mitoxantrone plus doxorubicin as second-line chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer.
Weekly low dose mitoxantrone (3 mg/m2) plus doxorubicin (8 mg/m2) was administered as second-line chemotherapy to 33 patients with advanced breast cancer. Four out of 28 evaluable patients (14%) obtained a partial response with a median duration of 34 weeks (range 18-67+ weeks), while 8 patients (29%) showed stable disease with a median duration of 28 weeks (range 11+-60 weeks). Gastrointestinal toxicity and alopecia were mild. Grade II and III leukopenia occurred in 63% of the courses without serious infectious disease. Four patients experienced an asymptomatic drop of 16-20% in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after relatively low cumulative doses of each drug, and one patient with a history of pericarditis carcinomatosa and mediastinal irradiation developed a heart failure. In conclusion, this second-line combination treatment had moderate activity in breast cancer and caused only few subjective side effects, especially with respect to gastrointestinal symptoms.
Bontenbal
M
M
Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam Cancer Institute (Dr Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center), The Netherlands.
Planting
A S
AS
Rodenburg
C J
CJ
Dees
A
A
Verweij
J
J
Bartels
C C
CC
Alexieva-Figusch
J
J
van Putten
W L
WL
Klijn
J G
JG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage
D004317:Doxorubicin; D008942:Mitoxantrone