title: Analysis of time to response to chemotherapy in 316 metastatic breast cancer patients.
abstract: Chemotherapy is a major tool for metastatic breast cancer treatment. In this study, a series of 316 patients have been analyzed to evaluate the time needed to reach tumor response by means of combination chemotherapy. Twenty-five percent of patients responded within 3 months and virtually all responses occurred within 7.5 months. The time curves of response (any) and best response are superimposable. A subset analysis has shown that the following pretreatment characteristics predict a significantly longer time to response: prior exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy, nodal positivity at diagnosis, no previous endocrine treatment and osseous metastases.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pronzato
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gardin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubagotti
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosso
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D003561:Cytarabine; D015251:Epirubicin; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol; D003520:Cyclophosphamide