title: Intermittent capecitabine monotherapy with lower dose intensity in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of a lower dose-intensity capecitabine monotherapy regimen in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with metastatic breast cancer who had been administered capecitabine monotherapy between June 2003 and August 2004 at our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Oral capecitabine (828 mg/m2) was given twice daily for three weeks followed by a one-week rest period; this was repeated every four weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-hundred and two patients were assessed. Median follow-up of patients was 16.4 months. One hundred patients (98%) had been pretreated with either anthracyclines or taxanes, 81 patients (79%) with both anthracyclines and taxanes. Response rate was 17% (95% CI, 9-24%), and clinical benefit rate was 41% (95% CI, 32-51%). Median time-to-treatment failure was 4.9 months, and median overall survival time was 24.3 months. This regimen was well tolerated. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse event was hand-foot syndrome (6%). Other grade 3 or 4 adverse events were seen in only 1%-3% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intermittent capecitabine monotherapy with lower dose intensity achieved a high tumor control rate with low toxicity in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo. tomo.osako@jfcr.or.jp
authors.forename: Tomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osako
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Nahomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tokudome
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil