title: Weekly low-dose doxorubicin as second line therapy in advanced breast cancer.
abstract: This is a retrospective analysis of women whose advanced breast cancer was treated with weekly low-dose doxorubicin (12 mg/m2) as second line therapy. The patients received doxorubicin as single agent therapy (group D, n = 47) or combined with various cytotoxic (group D+CT, n = 52) or with hormonal drugs (group D+ET, n = 37). Objective responses were found in 23% in group D, in 33% in group D+CT and in 30% in group D+ET. Mean response duration was 11 months in group D+CT and group D+ET and 6 months in group D (p = 0.007, Student's t-test). Median survival was 17 months in group D+CT and 9 months both in group D and group D+ET (p = 0.01, Mantel-Cox). The toxicity was mild. However, nausea occurred more often in group D+CT than in group D (p = 0.009, chi-square-test).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elomaa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blomqvist
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rissanen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin