title: Characterization of Durable Responder for Capecitabine Monotherapy in Patients With Anthracycline- and Taxane-Pretreated Metastatic Breast Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate predictive factors and the clinical characteristics of durable responders to capecitabine monotherapy in heavily-treated patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2000 and May 2012, a total of 236 evaluable patients with MBC who had been treated with second- or greater-line palliative capecitabine monotherapy after a previous treatment regimen with anthracycline and taxane were included. Capecitabine (1250 mg/m(2) twice daily) was administered for 2 weeks followed by a 1-week rest period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 23.3% and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.7 months (95% confidence interval, 4.0-5.5). Among 236 patients, 33 patients (14.0%) showed durable response (>12 months) to capecitabine monotherapy. Patients with durable response showed significantly greater incidence of estrogen receptor (ER) positivity (81.8% vs. 59.1%; P = .012), single-organ metastasis (51.5% vs. 32.0%; P = .047), and absence of lymph node metastasis (75.8% vs. 54.2%; P = .023), compared with patients without durable response. In multivariate analysis, ER positivity and single-organ metastasis retained a significant association with better PFS to capecitabine monotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.51; P < .001 and HR, 0.62; P = .004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that ER positivity and single-organ metastasis can be useful predictive markers for better PFS to second- or greater-line palliative capecitabine monotherapy in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated MBC patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Divisions of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Ae
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: imyh00@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Young-Hyuck
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000069287:Capecitabine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D000069287:Capecitabine; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane
keywords: Anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated; Capecitabine monotherapy; Durable responders; Durable response; ER