title: The gemcitabine/epirubicin/paclitaxel combination in advanced breast cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the response rate of the gemcitabine/epirubicin/paclitaxel combination (GET) and its feasibility as induction chemotherapy before high-dose consolidation treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days I and 4, epirubicin 90 mg/m2 on day 1, and paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 on day I every 3 weeks for up to eight courses. After six courses of GET, responding patients or those with stable disease entered a high-dose chemotherapy program. All 36 enrolled patients were evaluated for toxicity and response. The GET combination was well tolerated, with myelosuppression the being most common toxicity; grade 4 neutropenia was reported in 56% of patients. The overall response rate was 89% (95% confidence interval, 73.4% to 96.9%), with a 28% complete response rate. The high-dose chemotherapy program resulted in a response rate of 92% and a complete response rate of 44%. As a result of the promising activity demonstrated in this phase II study with GET and following high-dose chemotherapy, three related studies are planned: an in vitro study evaluating the possible synergism of paclitaxel and gemcitabine, a phase III study comparing GET with epirubicin/paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer, and a phase II trial evaluating GET in patients with operable breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Ospedale Santa Chiara e Universita, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Danesi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fogli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Tacca
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Conte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D015251:Epirubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine