Evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity of epirubicin and cisplatin with cyclic continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in advanced breast cancer

ABSTRACT

Nineteen evaluable patients with advanced breast cancer were included in this study. Fourteen patients received no previous chemotherapy and five patients received previous chemotherapy [CMF] and two of them received [CAF] as well. Age of patients ranged between 25 and 55 years, the median was 38 years. There were five postmenopausal and fourteen permenopause. The most common site of metastasis was the lymph nodes [supraclavicular or contralateral axillary] which was reported in 12 patients. All patients received the cyclic continuous infusion 5- FU for seven days plus epirubicin in day one and cisplatin in day three only. There were four complete responders, partial response was recorded in eleven patients with an overall response rate 79.1%. The failure free survival for untreated patients was 71.4% after a median follow up of 19 months. In previously treated patients, the failure free survival was 20% after a median follow up period of 13 months with median response period of 9.7 months