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Breast Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy.

PUCRS School of Medicine, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Survival: monthsCountry:Brazil
Toxiciy Grade:5City/State/Province:Porto Alegre
Treatments:ChemotherapyHospital:PUCRS School of Medicine
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Mar 2010

Description:

Patients:
This phase III trial involved women with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer that recurred following treatment with anthracycline and taxane. The study was divided into two groups - "Arm A" and "Arm B." Arm A of the study consisted of 238 patients with a median age of 53 years (range 25-80). There were 244 patients in arm B and the median age was also 53 (range 23-80).

Treatment:
Patients in arm A were treated with sunitinib, which is a biological agent ( multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor) which targets angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation). Patients in arm B were treated with the chemotherapy agent capecitabine, which blocks cancer cell division (growth).

Toxicities:
Seven patients (5 in arm A, 2 in arm B) died due to treatment-related adverse events including kidney and liver failure, cerebral hemorrhage, and pulmonary embolism. The most commonly reported toxicities overall in this study were diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome (reddening of the hands and feet), and nausea.

Results:
For arm A of this study, the median overall survival was 15.3 months and the median progression-free survival was 2.8 months. For arm B, the median overall survival was 24.6 months and the median progression-free survival was 4.2 months.

Support:
This study was funded by Pfizer Inc., makers of Sutent (trade name for sunitinib).

Correspondence: Dr. C. H. Barrios; email: [email protected]

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