title: Salvage treatment with intermediate-dose methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: Twenty-six patients (25 evaluable for response) with previously treated metastatic breast cancer were treated with intermediate-dose methotrexate (300 mg/m2) followed by 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2) and folinic acid-SF (Leucovorin) rescue (10 mg/m2 q 6 h X 6 doses) with or without tamoxifen (20 mg) and conjugated estrogen (Premarin) (.625 mg twice daily) depending on receptor status. There were two partial responses (8%) with no difference in response between patients who did or did not receive hormones. Toxicity was primarily hematological and elevation of liver function tests. The above schedule has minimal activity in previously treated metastatic breast-cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Medicine Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lippman
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate