title: Gemcitabine/anthracycline combinations in metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: Gemcitabine has demonstrated single-agent efficacy in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, with response rates of up to 42%. The agent is well tolerated, with relatively mild side effects, and has limited overlapping toxicities with other drugs used in combination chemotherapy for breast cancer. It is, therefore, a good candidate for inclusion in multidrug regimens for the treatment of this disease. This article reviews results of gemcitabine/anthracycline-containing double- and triple-drug combinations used to treat patients with early-stage and advanced breast cancer. Results from phase I and II trials were promising, with good tolerability and overall response rates ranging from 33%-89% in advanced disease and up to 95% in the neoadjuvant treatment of early-stage disease. A phase III trial is currently comparing gemcitabine/epirubicin/paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide in patients with advanced breast cancer. Preliminary toxicity data on 78 patients show that both regimens were well tolerated, with similar incidences of treatment-related effects. Additional comparative studies of gemcitabine-containing drug regimens in breast cancer are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, Vienna, Austria. christoph.zielinski@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
mesh_terms: D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D043823:Taxoids; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine