1. Capecitabine in elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer.
- Author
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De Sanctis R, Quadrini S, Longo F, Lapadula V, Restuccia R, Del Signore E, De Filippis L, Stumbo L, Gori B, Bianco V, Speranza I, Basile ML, and Di Seri M
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic administration & dosage, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic adverse effects, Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal therapeutic use, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Breast Neoplasms mortality, Capecitabine, Chemotherapy, Adjuvant, Deoxycytidine administration & dosage, Deoxycytidine adverse effects, Deoxycytidine therapeutic use, Diarrhea chemically induced, Disease-Free Survival, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Fluorouracil administration & dosage, Fluorouracil adverse effects, Fluorouracil therapeutic use, Hand-Foot Syndrome etiology, Humans, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Mucositis chemically induced, Neoplasm Staging, Retrospective Studies, Treatment Outcome, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic therapeutic use, Breast Neoplasms drug therapy, Breast Neoplasms pathology, Deoxycytidine analogs & derivatives, Fluorouracil analogs & derivatives, Quality of Life
- Abstract
Aims and Background: Capecitabine is the reference treatment for anthracycline- and/or taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study examined its efficacy, tolerability and impact on the quality of life of elderly patients with MBC., Materials and Methods: Between January 2002 and December 2009, 75 consecutive elderly patients with MBC received first-line chemotherapy with capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily for 14 days every 3 weeks. Endpoints were efficacy, tolerability and clinical-benefit response measured every 3 cycles., Results: Median age was 76 years (range 65-88); median ECOG performance status was 1 (range 0-2); 51 patients (68%) had received adjuvant chemotherapy and all patients had received hormonal therapy. Median exposure was 6 cycles. After 3 cycles, 11 patients (14.7%) had a partial response, one patient experienced a complete response, and 49 patients (65.3%) had stable disease, amounting to a disease control rate of 81.3%. Stable disease was maintained in 45 patients (60%) after 6 cycles, in 21 patients (28%) after 9 cycles, and in 13 patients (17.3%) after 12 cycles. A clinical-benefit response was experienced by 42 patients (56%), indicating a positive impact on quality of life. Treatment was well tolerated, the most common grade 3 events being diarrhea (12%) hand-foot syndrome (8%), and mucositis (8%). Adverse events were managed with dose adjustments and supportive therapy when required., Conclusions: Our results indicate that capecitabine is active and well tolerated in elderly patients with MBC. This dosing regimen warrants further study in the first-line setting for patients with less aggressive MBC who are not candidates for combination therapy.
- Published
- 2012
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