title: High-dose epirubicin as primary chemotherapy in advanced breast carcinoma: a phase II study.
abstract: A total of 40 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with 120 mg/m2 i.v. epirubicin every 3 weeks for a maximum of 10 cycles. Nine achieved a complete response and 17 showed a partial response, for an objective response rate of 65% (95% confidence interval, 47%-83%); the median duration of response was 7 months (range, 1-15 months) and median survival amounted to 13 months (range, 2-20 months). Leucopenia (grade 2 or 3) was seen in 14 patients on day 21 of the cycle. A subset of nine patients underwent blood counts on day 10, when all had marked neutropenia (less than 1 x 10(9)/l). Other toxicity was frequent and included nausea/vomiting (80%), alopecia (95%) and stomatitis (35%). Five patients showed a significant fall in cardiac output, but this reverted to normal after treatment. Epirubicin should have a role in the development of high-dose regimens for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Portugues de Oncologia Francisco Gentil, Lisboa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmo-Pereira
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rubens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000139:chemically induced; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D015996:Survival Rate; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin