title: Collection of circulating progenitor cells after epirubicin, paclitaxel and filgrastim in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: The efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and circulating progenitor cell (CPC) transplantation in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) relies mainly on giving this treatment after a response to conventional induction chemotherapy has been achieved. For this reason an optimal mobilization regimen should be therapeutically effective while minimizing the number of leucaphereses required to support the myeloablative therapy. The combination of an anthracycline and paclitaxel in chemotherapy-untreated MBC has produced impressive response rates. We evaluated the CPC-mobilizing capacity of the combination epirubicin (90 mg m(-2)) and paclitaxel (135 mg m(-2)) followed by filgrastim (5 microg kg(-1) day(-1)) starting 48 h after chemotherapy administration in ten patients with MBC who were eligible for an HDC and CPC transplantation programme. Leucaphereses were performed by processing at least two blood volumes per procedure at recovery from neutrophil nadir when CD34+ cells in the peripheral blood exceeded 20 microl(-1). In most patients (six out of 10) more than 2.5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells kg(-1), a threshold considered to be sufficient for haematopoietic reconstitution, were collected with a single apheresis. In the remaining four patients an additional procedure, performed the following day, was enough to reach the required number of progenitors. These data suggest that the epirubicin-paclitaxel combination, besides being a very active regimen in MBC, is effective in releasing large amounts of progenitor cells into circulation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perotti
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Da Prada
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertolini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gibelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torretta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pavesi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvaneschi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robustelli della Cuna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000069585:Filgrastim; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis / Q000379:methods; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015251:Epirubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000069585:Filgrastim