title: Combined mitoxantrone plus doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer.
abstract: Twenty-three patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with the combination of mitoxantrone and doxorubicin. This study was conducted since there is incomplete cross-resistance between the two drugs, and since data in vitro suggested that mitoxantrone might decrease the cardiotoxicity of concurrently administered doxorubicin by decreasing doxorubicin-induced membrane lipid peroxidation. Of 20 patients who were evaluable for response, 10 (50%) responded. Myelosuppression was pronounced with mitoxantrone doses ranging from 6 to 10 mg/m2 and doxorubicin doses ranging from 30 to 50 mg/m2, but granulocytopenia-related infections were uncommon. Three of 14 patients who had repeated gated cardiac radionuclide scans had reductions in their ejection fractions of 26% or more at relatively small total cumulative doses of the drugs; one patient developed reversible congestive heart failure after having received high cumulative doses of the two drugs. Preliminary clinical data suggest that mitoxantrone does not protect patients from doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Other toxicity was generally mild.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D008942:Mitoxantrone