title: Ifosfamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil in advanced pretreated breast cancer.
abstract: Thirty-five patients with a median age of 55 years (range, 28 to 68 years) and a median Karnofsky status of 80% (range, 40% to 100%) were treated with ifosfamide (1.5 g/m2 plus mesna), methotrexate (40 mg/m2), and 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2) intravenously (IV) days 1 and 8 at intervals of 4 weeks. Thirty-four patients had received previous chemotherapy, including anthracyclines in 28 patients. All patients were evaluable for response. A partial remission was achieved in six patients (17%), stable disease in 13 patients (37%), and 16 patients (46%) were unresponsive. Median time to progression was 7 months (range, 4 to 13 months) for partial responders, and 4 months for patients with stable disease. Median survival was 9 months for all patients, 13 months for partial responders, 16 months for no change, and 3 months for progressive disease. Toxicity was tolerable, with myelotoxicity being a dose-limiting factor, mainly in heavily pretreated patients. No treatment-related death occurred. In conclusion, this combination is effective and well tolerated. Ifosfamide is suggested for further evaluation in advanced breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, West German Tumor Center, Essen.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Höfeler
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kloke
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurschel
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Schilcher
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weinhardt
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wandl
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008593:Menopause; D015080:Mesna / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015080:Mesna; D005472:Fluorouracil; D007069:Ifosfamide; D008727:Methotrexate