title: Weekly non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy in heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to its low cardiac toxicity, non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) may represent an attractive therapeutic option as salvage therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer who have already received anthracycline-based chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 47 consecutive patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with NPLD at our Institution between 2008 and 2012. Patients received weekly NPLD at a dose of 20 mg/m(2) i.v. until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients (19.1%) achieved a partial response and 11 (23.4%) had stable disease, with a disease control rate of 42.6%; 27 patients (57.4%) had progressive disease. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.7 and 11.5 months, respectively. Grade 3 and 4 adverse events did not occur. No cardiac events were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly NPLD represents a safe and effective therapy and may be considered a new therapeutic option for heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Oncology and Hematology Unit, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy. giovanna.masci@cancercenter.humanitas.it.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masci
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gandini
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuradelli
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Losurdo
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torrisi
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Velutti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; C506643:liposomal doxorubicin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: Breast cancer; anthracycline; metastatic breast cancer; non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin