title: Phase II study of weekly gemcitabine in patients with metastatic breast cancer relapsing or failing both an anthracycline and a taxane.
abstract: A phase II study was performed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of gemcitabine as third-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer, previously treated with both an anthracycline- and taxane-containing regimen. Twenty-three patients were treated with gemcitabine 1200 mg/m2 in a 30-min infusion on day 1, 8 and 15 of a 28 day cycle. Seventy-four percent of the patients had visceral metastases. No complete or partial responses were observed. Six patients (26%) had stable disease with a median duration of 4.0 months. The median time to progression was 1.9 months and the median survival time was 7.8 months. Neutropenia grade 3 and 4 was observed in four patients (18%). Non-hematological toxicity grade 3 included nausea and vomiting in 14%, skin toxicity in 9% and elevation of transaminases in 23% of the patients. Gemcitabine is ineffective as third-line single agent therapy in patients failing anthracycline and taxane treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam Cancer Institute (Daniel den Hoed Kliniek) and University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands. smorenburg@vvdh.azr.nl
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Smorenburg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bontenbal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seynaeve
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Zuylen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Heus
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Wit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010166:Palliative Care; D043823:Taxoids; D017211:Treatment Failure; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C080625:taxane; D000093542:Gemcitabine