Treatment Information

Back

Breast Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy.

Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Survival: monthsCountry:Germany
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:Berlin
Treatments:ChemotherapyHospital:Humboldt University Berlin
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Jan 2005

Description:

Patients: This Phase III study involved 93 women with metastatic breast cancer. The patients were randomly placed into two groups: Group B had 45 patients (median age 51.6 years). All patients had at least one metastatic site, which included lung, liver, and bone. All patients had not received chemotherapy prior to treatment.

Treatment: For Group B, the treatment involved a "high dose chemotherapy" regimen with three agents: mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide.

Toxicity: In Group B, one patient died of septicemia during treatment. Grade 3-4 toxicities included: reduced white blood cell count, thrombocytopenia, nausea/vomiting, infection, anemia, stomatitis, and diarrhea. More patients in group B experienced these toxicities than patients in group A.

Results: The median overall survival was 26.9 months for patients in Group B. The authors concluded, "This trial failed to show a benefit for up-front tandem [high dose chemotherapy] compared with standard combination therapy. [High dose chemotherapy] was associated with more acute adverse effects."

Support: Bristol-Myers Squibb (Munich, Germany), Amgen Pharma (Munich, Germany), and Wyeth (Lederle, Germany) provided financial support for this trial. Bristol-Myers Squibb manufactures and markets cyclophosphamide, etoposide and paclitaxel. Amgen manufactures and markets filgrastim, which was used in this study to boost white blood cell production.

Correspondence: Peter Schmid, MD




Back