Gemcitabine combined with epirubicin in the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: a phase II study.
This phase II study of gemcitabine and epirubicin evaluated the activity and toxicity in advanced breast cancer. Female patients with stage IIIB or IV breast cancer received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 and then epirubicin 15 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of 28-day cycles. Thirty-five patients with stage IV disease, a median age of 59 years (range, 39-73), and a median Karnofsky performance status of 90 (range, 60-100) were enrolled. Fourteen (40.0%) patients received prior chemotherapy (12 adjuvant, 4 metastatic, 2 both). Of 35 evaluable patients, 10 had PR, for an overall RR of 28.6%, and 12 (34.3%) patients had SD. Median time to progression and overall survival were 5.8 months (95% CI, 3.4-9.5 months) and 17.1 months (95% CI, 11.2-19.9 months), respectively. WHO grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 51.5% of patients without febrile neutropenia, and grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 29.4% of patients without hemorrhage or platelet transfusions. The most common nonhematologic toxicities were grade 3 alopecia (38.2%) and nausea/vomiting (11.4%). There were no grade 4 nonhematologic toxicities. Gemcitabine plus epirubicin is active and well tolerated in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Future studies should continue to evaluate the impact of various schedules on outcome.
Landeskrankenanstalten Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. H.Hausmaninger@lks.at
Hubert
H
Hausmaninger
Günter
G
Morack
Bernhard
B
Heinrich
Diethelm
D
Wallwiener
Klaus
K
Höffken
Sarwat
S
Buksmaui
Kurt
K
Krejcy
Mary Alice
MA
Miller
Kurt
K
Possinger
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D015251:Epirubicin; D000093542:Gemcitabine