Dose-finding study of epidoxorubicin and docetaxel as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Anthracyclines and taxanes are the most active drugs against breast cancer and the search after their optimal combination is under intensive investigation in both the advanced and early disease settings. A dose-finding study of epidoxorubicin (E) and docetaxel (D) was conducted in advanced breast cancer (ABC) to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination with and without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support and to characterise its toxicity and activity profile.


METHODS
Forty-two patients who received neither palliative chemotherapy nor adjuvant anthracyclines (55% with dominant visceral disease and 66% with > or = 2 sites involved) with measurable/evaluable lesions, were treated at four dose levels starting from E 75 mg/m2 and D 75 mg/m2 to E 120 mg/m2 and D 85 mg/m2. A maximum of four cycles of the combination was given every three weeks and four additional cycles of single agent D were allowed in responding patients. Cardiac function was monitored at baseline and at every second course by echocardiography.


RESULTS
Febrile neutropenia (two patients) and prolonged, severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 0.1 x 10(9)/l for more than three days; one patient) defined the MTD of the combination without G-CSF support at E 90 mg/m2 and D 75 mg/m2. G-CSF was then routinely administered from the subsequent dose level of E 120 mg/m2 and D 75 mg/m2. The MTD with G-CSF support was established at E 120 mg/m2 and D 85 mg/m2 (one patient with neutropenic fever together with failure of ANC recovery at day 21, three patients with ANC less than 0.1 x 10(9)/l for more than three days, one patient with both and one patient with grade 4 thrombocytopenia and toxic death from typhlitis while neutropenic). No severe neurotoxicity, mucositis, or fluid retention were observed and there were no clinical signs of cardiotoxicity. Antitumor activity was not a primary endpoint of the study: the overall response rate (ORR) in 40 evaluable patients was 60% (95% confidence interval: 43%-75%, 58% in liver disease, 84% in soft tissue) with no apparent dose-related effect. After a median follow-up of 19 months (range 2-30+), the overall time to progression (TTP) in nine patients without maintenance hormonal therapy was five months.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of E and D proved to be an effective and safe regimen in poor- prognosis patients with ABC. G-CSF support allowed higher doses to be delivered safely but dose escalation did not translate into improved response rates (RR). The MTD without growth factors support was used, in a phase II trial, which also included patients with previous anthracycline-containing adjuvant regimens.
Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana, Ospedale S. Giovanni, Bellinzona, Switzerland. opagani@siak.ch
O
O
Pagani
C
C
Sessa
G
G
Martinelli
D
D
Crivellari
A
A
Buonadonna
B
B
Thürlimann
D
D
Hess
M
M
Borner
J
J
Bauer
G
G
Zampino
M
M
Zimatore
R
R
Graffeo
A
A
Riva
A
A
Goldhirsch
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D043823:Taxoids
D043823:Taxoids; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel