title: Paclitaxel in combination with weekly 24-hour infusional 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin in the second-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer: results of a phase II study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the antitumor activity in terms of response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP) and survival of paclitaxel in combination with weekly 24-hour infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin in pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients with bidimensionally measureable disease were included during phase II. Thirty-two had anthracycline resistant disease. Treatment consisted of 5-FU (24-hour i.v. infusion) 2.0 g/m2, leucovorin (two-hour i.v. infusion prior to 5-FU) 500 mg/m2, weekly for six weeks (day 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36) and paclitaxel (three-hour i.v. infusion) 175 mg/m2 was administered additionally on days 1 and 22, q 50 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed complete remissions in 4% of patients (2 of 54), partial remissions in 55% (30 of 54), stable disease in 37% (20 of 54) and progressive disease in 4% (2 of 54). The overall RR was 59% (95% CI 48%-72%). The RR in 32 patients with anthracycline resistant disease was 59% (19 of 32). The median duration of response was 12 months (3-22), median TTP eight months (2-22) and median survival time 15 months (2-28). Neutropenia was common, but of CTC grade 2 or 3 in most patients. Nonhematologic toxicities mostly consisted of CTC grade 1 and 2 myalgia, diarrhea, mucositis, nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paclitaxel combined with weekly 24-hour infusional 5-FU/leucovorin is well tolerated in the second line treatment of MBC. High efficacy was documented even in the treatment of anthracycline resistant disease, which warrants further evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Cancer Research), West German Cancer Center, University of Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harstrick
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Philippou Pari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strumberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Achterrath
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lenaz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seeber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil