Possible use of combination chemotherapy with mitomycin C and methotrexate for metastatic breast cancer pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.
BACKGROUND
Most patients with breast cancer need anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens in the adjuvant setting, and an increasing number of them receive taxanes either in this setting or as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, no standard chemotherapy has been fully established for MBC patients pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 48 patients with MBC who had been treated with chemotherapy combining mitomycin C and methotrexate (MMC/MTX), following treatment with anthracycline and taxanes. MMC was given at a dose of 8 mg/m(2) on day 1, and MTX of 60 mg/m(2) on day 1 and day 15. The cycle was repeated every 4 weeks.


RESULTS
There were 11 partial responses (24%). The median time to progression was 4.8 months. The response rate of liver metastasis was 31%. Thrombocytopenia (grade 3) was observed in five patients (10%). Other toxicity was mild and manageable.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that MMC/MTX could be an effective subsequent treatment for patients whose MBC has been pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.
Tanabe
Masahiko
M
Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
Ito
Yoshinori
Y
Tokudome
Nahomi
N
Sugihara
Tsutomu
T
Miura
Hiroyoshi
H
Takahashi
Shunji
S
Seto
Yasuyuki
Y
Iwase
Takuji
T
Hatake
Kiyohiko
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018943:Anthracyclines; D043823:Taxoids; D016685:Mitomycin; D008727:Methotrexate