title: Weekly epirubicin in the treatment of gestational breast cancer (GBC).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GBC is a rare disease and chemotherapy in this setting lacks a standardized approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients 16-30 weeks pregnant with locally advanced/metastatic disease or with high risk of recurrence after surgery were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients received weekly epirubicin 35 mg/m(2). Median maternal age was 37 years (23-42). Median gestational age at chemotherapy was 19 weeks. Thirteen patients were treated after surgery while 7 had locally advanced tumours of which one had liver metastases. Mean total epirubicin dose was 420 mg/m(2) with a median number of 12 administrations (4-16). No grade 3-4 toxicities were observed. No foetal adverse events were observed except 1 premature delivery at 28 weeks. Births were induced by caesarean section in 12 patients at a median gestational age of 35 weeks. No malformations were reported except 1 newborn with polycystic kidney. At a median age of 2 years, neurological, cardiological and immunological development was normal in all children as reported by their parents. In 7/20 patients with evaluable disease, five had an objective response. At a median follow-up of 38 months, 17 patients are alive; 14 are disease free.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly epirubicin appears safe and effective with low foetal toxicity and could be considered in GBC.
authors: Department of Medicine, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy. fedro.peccatori@ieo.it
authors: Fedro A
authors: FA
authors: Peccatori
authors: Hatem A
authors: HA
authors: Azim
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Scarfone
authors: Angiolo
authors: A
authors: Gadducci
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Bonazzi
authors: Oreste
authors: O
authors: Gentilini
authors: Viviana
authors: V
authors: Galimberti
authors: Mattia
authors: M
authors: Intra
authors: Marzia
authors: M
authors: Locatelli
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Acaia
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Rossi
authors: Saverio
authors: S
authors: Cinieri
authors: Liliana
authors: L
authors: Calabrese
authors: Aron
authors: A
authors: Goldhirsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015251:Epirubicin