title: Mitoxantrone plus gemcitabine in pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: Gemcitabine and mitoxantrone have both shown significant antitumor activity in patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination as second or third-line treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Forty-six previously treated patients with MBC were enrolled from June 2000 to November 2002. Mean age was 56 years and ECOG performance status was < or =2. All patients received mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2, D8 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2, D1+8 every 21 days for 6 cycles. There were no complete responders. Objective response was observed in 12 patients (26%), 15 (33%) patients had stable disease, 15 (33%) had progressive disease and 4 (9%) were non-evaluable. At median follow-up of 27.8 months, overall survival was 13.3 months (range 0.6-33.8+) and the median time to disease progression (TTP) was 4.4 months (range 0.2-33.8). Toxicities (grade 3-4) were as follows: leukopenia 18 (39%), neutropenia 19 (41%), thrombocytopenia 4 (8.5%), anemia 6 (13%) and alopecia 1 (2%). Febrile neutropenia was recorded in 2 (4%) patients. There were no treatment related deaths. The authors conclude that the combination of mitoxantrone and gemcitabine is an effective regimen in pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer. Toxicity was manageable.
authors.affiliation: University of Patras School of Medicine, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onyenadum
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gogas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosmidis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aravantinos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bafaloukos
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bacoyiannis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Markopoulos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutras
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tzorakoelefterakis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makatsoris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fountzilas
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kalofonos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D000093542:Gemcitabine