title: Prednimustine combined with mitoxantrone and 5-fluorouracil for first and second-line chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer.
abstract: A total of 60 patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with a combination of prednimustine (P: 110 mg/m2, days 1-5), mitoxantrone (M: 12 mg/m2, day 1) and 5-fluorouracil (F: 500 mg/m2, day 1) (PMF). Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks. In all 53 patients were evaluable for response. A total of 12 subjects had failed prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. In response to PMF treatment we observed 21 partial remissions and 3 complete remissions, amounting to a total response rate of 45%. The median duration of response was 39 weeks, and median survival was 56 weeks. Dose-limiting side effects were leukopenia (40 cases) and thrombocytopenia (11 patients). Nausea and vomiting was experienced by 93% of subjects; in 56% of cases it reached WHO stage II-III. Alopecia occurred in 18% of our patients. Our results suggest that PMF represents an active regimen in the treatment of advanced breast cancer and yields a response rate of 45%. Considering that the majority of our patients had not received prior chemotherapy, the question remains open as to whether a 45% response rate outweighs the observed toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Karl Franzens-University, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samonigg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stöger
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kasparek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dusleag
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steindorfer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lechner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D011238:Prednimustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D011238:Prednimustine; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D005472:Fluorouracil