title: Combination chemotherapy with mitomycin C, vindesine and melphalan for refractory metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: A combination of mitomycin C, vindesine and melphalan was administered to 33 patients with heavily pretreated refractory breast cancer. The overall response rate was 27% with a mean duration of more than 10.2 months. A stabilization with a mean duration of 5.1 months was seen in 56% of cases, while 20% of patients progressed. Gastrointestinal toxicity, mostly grade 1 or 2 nausea/vomiting was seen in 85% of cases, grade 1 or 2 leukopenia in 60% of patients, and grade 1 or 2 thrombocytopenia in 42%. Considering the good compliance of this regimen and the poor prognosis of patients with refractory advanced breast cancer, this combination can be useful as a palliative treatment of breast carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oncology, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rausa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmeri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010166:Palliative Care; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin; D008558:Melphalan; D014751:Vindesine