Capecitabine for the oral treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
Women with metastatic breast cancer require tailored chemotherapy that improves outcomes without compromising quality of life. Capecitabine, a pro-drug of 5-fluorouracil, is an oral fluoropyrimidine carbamate that is sequentially activated in a three-step process. This results in the preferential production of 5-fluorouracil in tumors rather than in normal surrounding tissue, improving the tolerability and efficacy of 5-fluorouracil. In combination with docetaxel, capecitabine is the first agent that has shown superior activity to single-agent docetaxel, and it is a particularly appropriate option for younger, fitter patients with rapidly progressing disease and/or visceral metastases. However, for older patients and those with comorbidities and/or after progression to taxanes, single-agent capecitabine may be the best option. Its role in earlier disease stages (adjuvant therapy) is being investigated.
Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario "12 de Octubre", Cra. Andalucia km. 5,4, Madrid 28041, Spain. hcortes.hdoc@salud.madrid.org.
Hernán
H
Cortés-Funes