Single-agent capecitabine maintenance therapy after response to capecitabine-based combination chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Abstract

We performed an analysis of the efficacy of capecitabine monotherapy as maintenance treatment for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) after response to capecitabine-based chemotherapy [capecitabine plus docetaxel (XT) or vinorelbine (XN)] as a first-line or a second-line treatment. Sixty-four Chinese patients with histologically confirmed MBC received capecitabine maintenance therapy after disease stabilization or maximal response to capecitabine-based combination chemotherapy. Single-agent capecitabine was administered at a dose of 1000 mg/m(2) twice daily for 14 days, followed by a 7-day rest period, every 3 weeks. The median time to progression, the primary endpoint of the study, was 4.4 months (95% confidence interval, 3.4-5.4 months). Fifty-nine patients were evaluable for response. Capecitabine maintenance therapy produced an objective response rate of 5.1% (95% confidence interval, 3.9-6.3%). The incidence of grade 3/4 leukopenia (3.1%) and neutropenia (4.7%) was significantly lower (P<0.001) with capecitabine monotherapy than with combination chemotherapy (46.9 and 54.7%, respectively). Conversely, the incidence of grade 3 hand-foot syndrome was higher with capecitabine maintenance therapy than with combination therapy (14.1 vs. 0%, respectively; P=0.003). Capecitabine monotherapy is an effective maintenance treatment after response to capecitabine-based combination chemotherapy in MBC with a favorable safety profile.

• Authors: Hongyan Huang, Zefei Jiang, Tao Wang, Shaohua Zhang, Li Bian, Yang Cao, Shikai Wu, Santai Song
• Journal: Anti-cancer drugs (Anticancer Drugs) Vol. 23 Issue 7 Pg. 718-23 (Aug 2012) ISSN: 1473-5741 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22739713 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Taxoids
• Deoxycytidine
• Docetaxel
• Vinblastine
• Capecitabine
• Vinorelbine
• Fluorouracil

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents (administration & dosage)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Capecitabine
• Deoxycytidine (adverse effects, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Docetaxel
• Female
• Fluorouracil (adverse effects, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Hand-Foot Syndrome
• Humans
• Maintenance Chemotherapy (methods)
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Metastasis (drug therapy)
• Neutropenia (chemically induced)
• Taxoids (administration & dosage)
• Treatment Outcome
• Vinblastine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
• Vinorelbine