title: Second-line combination chemotherapy with vinorelbine and capecitabine in patients with advanced breast cancer previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This phase II study was designed to evaluate the effects of vinorelbine (VRL) and capecitabine (CAP) as second-line combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC) previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment consisted of VRL 25 mg/m(2) administered on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day treatment cycle, along with oral CAP 825 mg/m(2) twice daily for 14 days, followed by 7 days of rest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  50 patients were enrolled and 48/50 (96.0%) patients were assessable for response. The median time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) of the patients were 5.0 (95% confidence interval, CI, 2.1-7.9 months) and 12.0 months (95% CI, 8.0-16.0 months), respectively. The objective response rate was 26.0% (95% CI, 13.8-38.2%) with 1 confirmed complete response and 12 partial responses. The most frequent hematological adverse event was neutropenia of grade 3 and 4 in 5 (10.4%) and 2 patients (4.2%), respectively. Grade 3 stomatitis, asthenia, and diarrhea were observed in 1 (2.1%), 2 (4.2%) and 3 (6.3%) patients, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of VRL and CAP is feasible as second-line chemotherapy in patients with ABC previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes, with efficacy being comparable to other available combination regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangyin People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Xunxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Fengyan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shangang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014747:Vinblastine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D005472:Fluorouracil