Treatment Information

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Breast Cancer treatment details. Biologic therapy.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.

Survival: monthsCountry:United States
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:New York, NY
Treatments:Biologic therapyHospital:Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:May 2009

Description:

Patients: This phase 2 study involved 69 women with locally advanced metastatic breast cancer. Their average (mean) age was 53 years, ranging from 30 to 83. There were two groups of patients; those whose disease had progressed after anthracyclines, taxanes, and capecitabine (cohort 1), and those whose disease had progressed after being treated with more than one chemotherapy for advanced disease (cohort 2).

Treatment: Patients were treated with erlotinib, a biological therapy.

Toxicity: All patients experienced at least one toxic side effect. The most common toxicities were diarrhea, rash, dry skin, asthenia, nausea, anorexia, dry eyes, and vomiting. There was one report of grade 4 dyspnea (breathlessness). Grade 3 toxicities included dyspnea, vomiting, nausea, acne, asthenia, and diarrhea.

Results: The median overall survival was 4.6 months for cohort 1 (139 days) and 5.2 months for cohort 2 (157 days).

Support: This study was supported by research funds from Genentech, Inc., which markets erlotinib as Tarceva®.

Correspondence: Dr. Maura N. Dickler



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