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Breast Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy, Biologic therapy.

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Survival: monthsCountry:United States
Toxiciy Grade:5City/State/Province:Pittsburgh, PA
Treatments:Chemotherapy, Biologic therapyHospital:University of Pittsburgh
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Nov 2011

Description:

Patients:
This phase II study involved women with previously treated but recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who were divided into two separate treatment groups. Group A included 225 patients with a median age of 55 years. Group B consisted of 459 patients with a median age of 55 years.

Treatment:
Group A was treated with a chemotherapy regimen that included capecitabine, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, or a taxane-based agent in addition to a placebo.

Group B was treated with a chemotherapy regimen with one of the agents listed above as well as the biologic therapy agent bevacizumab, which is an antibody that blocks a protein involved in cancer cell growth.

Toxicities:
Five treatment-related deaths were reported for group A. The most common grade 3 or higher toxicities were neutropenia (14.5% of patients), sensory neuropathy (5.9%), and neutropenia with fever (2.7%).

For group B, six treatment-related deaths were reported. The most common grade 3 or higher toxicities were neutropenia (17.7% of patients), hypertension (9.0%), and sensory neuropathy (6.3%).

Results:
The median overall survival rates for groups A and B were 16.4 and 18.0 months, respectively.

Support:
This study was supported by Genentech, makers of Avastin (trade name for bevacizumab).

Correspondence: Dr. Adam Brufsky; email: [email protected]

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