title: [Long-term results of personalized treatment in 72 breast cancer patients who failed chemotherapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of personalized treatment for breast cancer patients who failed chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients with breast cancer who failed chemotherapy were treated at the Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2001 to January 2012. Among them, 42 cases received 5.6 cycles (range, 4-8 cycles) of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 30 cases received 12.2 cycles (range, 6-22 cycles), both postoperative adjuvant and salvage chemotherapy. All of the 72 patients of stage IV were given personalized treatment. Under guidance of the principle that multidisciplinary treatment improves control rate but does not or less damage the normal tissues and host immune function, precise radiotherapy combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), biological agent and others were chosen for the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival time was 20 months. Univariate analysis showed that non-invasive ductal carcinoma, less metastasized organs, without brain, liver and lung metastasis, Karnofsky performance scores ≥ 80, not combined with chemotherapy, and multiple courses of Chinese herbal medicine and biolojical agent treatment had significant impact on survival (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that no brain metastasis, non-invasive ductal carcinoma, and Chinese herbal medicine and biological agent treatment ≥ 7 courses and not combined with chemotherapy had obvious significance (P < 0.05). The rate of grade 3 and 4 treatment-related hematological toxicity was 8.3% (6/72) and 5.6% (4/72), respectively. All the patients with grade 4 hematological toxicity were the cases of grade 3 at hospital admission. No grade 3 and 4 acute radiation damages of the lung and liver were noticed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese herbal medicine combined with biological agents and others prolongs survival time in breast cancer patients who failed chemotherapy, and provides an alternative treatment modality for them.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Dong
authors: D
authors: Nie
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China. Email: youqs@sina.com.
authors: Qing-shan
authors: QS
authors: You
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Jing-wei
authors: JW
authors: Luan
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Xiang-lan
authors: XL
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Ru-tao
authors: RT
authors: Guo
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Li-ping
authors: LP
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077289:Letrozole; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009570:Nitriles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007093:Imidazoles; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid; D000077289:Letrozole