Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/drug therapy , Skin Diseases/drug therapy , Adult , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating/administration & dosage , Biopsy , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Breast Neoplasms/surgery , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/diagnosis , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/surgery , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage , Disease-Free Survival , Drug Administration Schedule , Epirubicin/administration & dosage , Female , Fluorouracil/administration & dosage , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Lymph Nodes/surgery , Lymphocytes/pathology , Mastectomy, Radical , Recurrence , Skin Diseases/diagnosis , Skin Diseases/pathology , Skin Diseases/surgery , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite progress achieved with new chemotherapeutic and endocrine agents, advanced breast cancer (ABC) remains a disease with poor prognosis. We sought to determine the efficacy of gemcitabine (GC) and oral vinorelbine (VB) in heavily preatreated ABC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes in the metastatic setting with progressive disease were eligible. Treatment consisted of VB (60 mg/m2, orally) and GC (1000 mg/m2, intravenous infusion), every two weeks of a 28- day cycle. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients with ABC were enrolled. Toxicity was acceptable, mainly haematological. Three and 8 patients achieved a complete (9.6%) and partial (25.8%) response, respectively; ten patients (32.2%) had stable disease. Median time-to-progression was 5.3 months, while in responders 8.6 months. Median overall survival was 14 months. CONCLUSION: Oral VB and GC is an active and well-tolerated combination in anthracycline/taxane-pretreated ABC, representing an interesting option in this poor prognosis group of patients.
