title: Gemcitabine plus capecitabine combination in metastatic breast cancer patients previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) exposed to anthracyclines and taxanes is challenging. Effective and well-tolerated regimens are required. Gemcitabine plus capecitabine combination was assessed in MBC patients pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 31 patients treated between November 2004 and September 2005 were retrospectively evaluated in 4 institutions. The median age was 48 years (range 29-77). The patients were given gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8, and capecitabine 1,500 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1-14 every 3 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 160 cycles of chemotherapy were administered with a median of 5 cycles per patient (range 2-12). Three patients achieved a partial response (10%) and 8 patients (26%) stable disease. The median time to disease progression was 6 months (95% CI 5-7), with a median survival of 18 months (95% CI 15-21) at a median follow-up of 16 months (range 2-28). One-year and 2-year survival rates were 67 and 28%, respectively. Grade 3-4 toxicities were as follows: neutropenia (n = 11, 35%), nausea and vomiting (n = 4, 13%), hand-foot syndrome (n = 2, 6%), anemia (n = 2, 6%), thrombocytopenia (n = 2, 6%) and asthenia (n = 1, 3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of gemcitabine plus capecitabine was a tolerable regimen with a mild but comparable survival efficacy to similar regimens in patients with MBC after anthracyclines and taxanes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey. mbenekli@gazi.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benekli
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Aytug
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uner
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Er
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamac
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alkis
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Celalettin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camci
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buyukberber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine