Efficacy and safety of eribulin monotherapy in patients with heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Eribulin is a non-taxane microtubule inhibitor, which can be used after anthracycline and taxane treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of eribulin monotherapy in heavily pretreated MBC patients.


METHODS
In this single-center trial, a total of 66 MBC patients who received eribulin monotherapy in Hacettepe University Cancer Institute between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out for progression free survival (PFS) and for overall survival (OS). Two-sided p values <0.05 were considered as statistically significant.


RESULTS
Sixty-six patients who received at least one cycle of eribulin were registered. Most patients were heavily pretreated with a median of 4 (range 2-7) previous chemotherapy lines prior to eribulin. Median patient age was 50 years (range 28-67). Most patients were treated with eribulin at 4th or 5th line (33.3 and 27.3%, respectively). Brain metastases were present in 19 (28.8%) patients at the time of initial eribulin administration. Median PFS was 5 (95% CI 4.1-5.8) and median OS was 8 (95% CI 6-9.9) months. Fifteen patients (22.7%) responded to treatment with partial remission (PR) and 36 (54%) had stable disease (SD). No hypersensitivity reactions and no toxic deaths were observed. Three (5%) patients experienced grade 4 neurotoxicity. Fourteen (21.5%) patients developed grade 3-4 neutropenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Eribulin monotherapy is an effective and safe regimen for MBC patients. Its low toxicity profile compared to other intravenous cytotoxic agents and the ease in its intravenous administration make this agent a preferable option for both physicians and patients.
Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara, Turkey.
Ozturk
O
Ates
Taner
T
Babacan
Neyran
N
Kertmen
Furkan
F
Sarici
Alma
A
Cenoli
Serkan
S
Akin
Yusuf
Y
Karakas
Saadettin
S
Kilickap
Yavuz
Y
Ozisik
Ali R
AR
Sever
Sercan
S
Aksoy
Kadri
K
Altundag
D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005663:Furans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007659:Ketones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014421:Turkey; D000095662:Polyether Polyketides
D005663:Furans; D007659:Ketones; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; C490954:eribulin; D000095662:Polyether Polyketides