ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients, randomised controlled trials evaluated Bevacizumab as first-line treatment showed improvements in tumour response rate and progression-free survival (PFS) when added to chemotherapy. In Morocco, we conducted an observational study to investigate clinical features, treatment and prognosis associated with Bevacizumab based chemotherapy in first line treatment of HER2 negative MBC. FINDINGS: Nineteen women were included in this study. All these women were diagnosed as having HER2 negative MBC at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat, Morocco, between January 2009 and December 2010. The median age of patients was 48.1 years. Four patients (21%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis and 15 patients (79%) had received treatment for first metastatic relapse. Bone, liver and lung were the most frequent metastasis sites. Patients were followed up until April 2011. Most patients had objective response; 15.8% of complete response, 47.3% of partial response and 21.1% of stabilisation. Median PFS was estimated at 11.5 months. Sub-groups analysis showed a statistically significant difference (Log-rank test: p = 0.01); PFS for patients receiving Bevacizumab - weekly Paclitaxel was estimated at 18.1 months, and at 9.1 months for patients receiving the combination Bevacizumab - Docetaxel. This benefit in PFS was associated with an acceptable safety profile. CONCLUSION: As demonstrated in this study, Bevacizumab based chemotherapy in first line treatment of HER2 negative MBC in Morocco and particularly in combination with Taxanes extends PFS, as confirmed in a recent meta-analysis of 3 randomised controlled phase III studies.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Adult , Bevacizumab , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Disease-Free Survival , Docetaxel , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Meta-Analysis as Topic , Middle Aged , Morocco , Paclitaxel/administration & dosage , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Receptor, ErbB-2/deficiency , Receptor, ErbB-2/genetics , Taxoids/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Cancer is an uncommon disease; its imaginary concept is very particularly on adolescent and young adults. It disturbs their lives on the whole. The purpose of this study is to describe the specific psychosocial effects of cancer on adolescent and young adults in Moroccan population in order to help physicians educate and counsel future young patients and their families. During the period from January to July 2009, patients aged between 15 and 30 years with histologically confirmed cancer, were prospectively interviewed by a questionnaire covering socio-epidemiological characteristics, repercussions of disease on physical, psychic, sexual and religious practices. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of cancer, particularly on this young North African population, which is underrepresented in the psychosocial cancer literature.
