title: Second-line chemotherapy with long-term low-dose oral etoposide in patients with advanced breast cancer.
abstract: In a phase II study, 27 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with oral etoposide as second-line chemotherapy at a dose of 50 mg/m2/day for 21 days, which courses were repeated every 4 weeks. Twenty-one patients were evaluable for response, and twenty-five for toxicity. In two (10%) patients a partial response was observed with a duration of 60 and 122 weeks respectively, and seven patients (33%) showed stable disease. Gastrointestinal toxicity was usually mild, though relatively frequent. Anemia grade II and III was observed in 20% of all courses (< 10% of all measurements), and leukopenia grade III and IV was observed in 22% of all courses (< 10% of all measurements). There was one toxic death. Reviewing the literature we calculated a response rate of intravenous etoposide treatment of 8% in 276 patients with metastatic breast cancer from 7 studies (response rates ranging between 0-14%), while (chronic) oral treatment caused a response rate of 19% in 145 patients from 8 different studies (response rates ranging between 0-35%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam Cancer Institute, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bontenbal
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Planting
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kruit
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stoter
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Klijn
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide