title: The comparison of maintenance treatment with capecitabine (CMT) and non-maintenance treatment with capecitabine (non-CMT) in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study examined the response rate, response duration and toxicity of maintenance treatment (CMT) and non-maintenance treatment with capecitabine (non-CMT) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2009 and July 2013, a group of 82 patients with MBC, who had progressed after anthracycline/taxane chemotherapy, was treated with a capecitabine-based chemotherapy and divided into two groups. 54 patients received CMT 1.5 g twice a day from days 1 to 14, and 28 patients achieved non-CMT. Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The median age of patients treated with CMT and non-CMT was 57 years (range 38-78) and 50 years (range 37-77). The evaluation of treatment effect was possible in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate (ORR) was 29.7% (16 cases), including 3 (5.6%) complete responses (CR) and 13 (24.1%) partial responses (PR). Stable disease (SD) was observed in 7.4% of patients receiving CMT (54 patients). In the group receiving non-CMT, ORR was 3.6% (1 case). The median PFS in CMT group was 36 weeks, while in non-CMT group was 24 weeks. The most common adverse event was hematologic toxicity (74.1%), with the incidence of grade 1-2/3-4 was 70.4% and 3.7%. Hand-foot syndrome was the most frequent non-hematologic form of toxicity, occurring in 70.4% of cases. There were no treatment-related deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMT is an effective and safe treatment for pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients. And CMT appears to be a more efficacious treatment than non-CMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Guolei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Xiaorui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Shufen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Yehui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Huanhuxi Road Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Zhongsheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tong
keywords: CMT; Metastatic breast cancer; capecitabine; chemotherapy