title: Study of low-dose capecitabine monotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Capecitabine is an established therapy for metastatic breast cancer. In Japan, a 4 weekly regimen is often used, but data for this schedule in the first-line setting are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metastatic breast cancer patients who had received no chemotherapy for recurrent disease received capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice daily, on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was response rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 33 eligible patients, median age was 53 years (range 27-73). Prior adjuvant therapy included an anthracycline in 90% and a taxane in 40%. The response rate was 18%; a further 24% had stable disease for >or=6 months. Median progression-free and overall survival were 6.9 and 24.8 months, respectively. The only grade 3 events were neutropenia (6%) and hand-foot syndrome (15%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results confirm previous data showing that a lower capecitabine dose is an active and well-tolerated first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan. ttaguchi @ onsurg.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Katsuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshidome
authors.forename: Kenzou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akagi
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Yukinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Chigusa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Shinzaburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000069287:Capecitabine; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000139:chemically induced; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D013534:Survival; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil