title: High-dose Chemotherapy and the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer: Selecting the Regimen and the Source of Stem Cells.
abstract: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell rescue has been associated with an increased overall response rate and improved progression-free survival for patients with metastatic breast cancer when compared retrospectively to standard therapy. The optimal source of stem cells - peripheral blood or autologous bone marrow - has not been determined. We present results from two high-dose regimens - ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE) or mitoxantrone and thiotepa (MITT) followed by autologous stem cell rescue - and analyze the outcomes for patients based on the regimen used and the source of stem cells. Disease responsiveness at the time of high-dose therapy is the most important factor for determining outcome. The source of stem cells did not affect progression-free survival for either group.
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplant Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Agaliotis
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hiemenz
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Zorsky
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Elfenbein