Open AccessAnalysis of the activity and safety of weekly low‐dose bevacizumab‐based regimens in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer
Author(s) -
Zhai Xiaoyu,
Hong Ruoxi,
Fan Ying,
Yuan Peng,
Wang Jiayu,
Sang Die,
Chen Junlin,
Zhao Chunying,
Ou Kaiping,
Ma Fei,
Xu Binghe
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/1759-7714.12627
Subject(s) - medicine , bevacizumab , neutropenia , adverse effect , metastatic breast cancer , anemia , oncology , chemotherapy , taxane , irinotecan , breast cancer , febrile neutropenia , surgery , gastroenterology , cancer , colorectal cancer
Background Currently, there are no standard regimens for metastatic breast cancer patients (MBC) who have failed ≥ 3 chemotherapy treatments. The aim of this study was to assess whether weekly low‐dose bevacizumab‐based regimens were well tolerated and would improve efficacy in MBC patients who had failed numerous therapies. Methods Seventeen patients with MBC who were heavily pretreated with a median of five regimens of therapy (range 1–10) between 2012 and 2016 were included in the analysis. Bevacizumab was administered at a dose of 100 mg intravenously once a week combined with one or two types of chemotherapeutic drugs until confirmed disease progression or an intolerable adverse event was observed. Patient characteristics, objective response rate, clinical benefit rate, progression‐free survival, and toxicity were assessed. Results All 17 patients had been pretreated with taxane‐based and anthracycline‐based chemotherapy. Weekly low‐dose bevacizumab combined with one or two types of chemotherapeutic drugs, which had usually not been previously used (e.g. etoposide, irinotecan, pemetrexed, methotrexate, and nab‐paclitaxel), was administered. Three patients achieved a partial response, while one had stable disease for > 24 weeks, and the clinical benefit rate was 23.5%. Median progression‐free survival was 3.4 months (95% confidence interval 2.0–4.8). The most common hematological adverse events were neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Bevacizumab‐related adverse events included grade 1 bleeding (17.6%) and grade 2 hypertension (5.9%). Conclusions Weekly low‐dose bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy shows a relatively favorable clinical response and tolerable toxicity, providing a feasible option for heavily pretreated MBC patients.