title: Gemcitabine and Capecitabine Combination Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Pretreated with Anthracyclines and/or Taxanes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Owing to the need for effective and tolerable new regimens for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes, we aimed to assess the activity and safety of the gemcitabine plus capecitabine combination chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four patients were enrolled. Treatment consisted of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8, plus oral capecitabine at 1,250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14. The primary end point was the overall response rate (ORR). Secondary objectives included the disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity, and predictive factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 64 patients, the ORR and DCR was 28.1 and 67.2%. Median OS and PFS were 23.6 and 13.4 months, respectively. Toxicities were mild and curable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of gemcitabine and capecitabine is an effective and tolerable treatment for MBC previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes.
authors: Guangyu
authors: G
authors: Yao
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Cao
authors: Mingfeng
authors: M
authors: Liu
authors: Lujia
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Xiaolei
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: Changsheng
authors: C
authors: Ye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000069287:Capecitabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012074:Remission Induction; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D000093542:Gemcitabine