title: Concurrent 72-hour continuous infusion of etoposide and cisplatin in metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: We conducted a multiinstitutional phase II clinical trial to determine the toxicity, response, and survival rate of concurrent 72-h continuous infusion of etoposide and cisplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A total of 26 women were enrolled, 4 of whom received no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. All patients were evaluated for toxicity, response, and survival employing the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) response criteria. A total of 84 cycles of therapy were administered, median 3 (range 1 to 6). Severe grade 3 and grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 22 cycles (26%), and there were only 11 episodes (11%) of similar grade thrombocytopenia. Nausea and vomiting were seen in one third of cycles. A single patient (4%) had a complete remission, and seven patients (27%) had partial remissions for an overall objective response rate of 31% (95% confidence interval, 13 to 49%). Three of four patients (75%) without prior therapy for metastatic disease had objective responses. Median survival was 7 months. This combination regimen is active in extensively treated patients with metastatic breast cancer. It is responsible to further investigate the role of etoposide-cisplatin combination chemotherapy as firstline therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Remick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chmura
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bromberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sporn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Healey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hilstro
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: DeConti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ruckdeschel
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Harper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin