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A phase II study of gemcitabine plus paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer and prior anthracycline treatment
Author(s) -
XU Binghe,
SHEN Zhenzhou,
JIANG Zefei,
GUAN Zhongzhen,
ZHANG Xiaoqing
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/j.1743-7563.2010.01323.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gemcitabine , anthracycline , metastatic breast cancer , neutropenia , breast cancer , leukopenia , chemotherapy , clinical endpoint , oncology , progression free survival , febrile neutropenia , cancer , surgery , clinical trial
Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine‐paclitaxel in Chinese patients with metastatic breast cancer following anthracycline failure in a multicenter, open‐label, single‐arm, phase II clinical trial. Methods: Chinese female patients with unresectable, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who had relapsed after neo‐adjuvant anthracycline‐based chemotherapy were included. All patients had measurable disease and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 at baseline. Gemcitabine (1250 mg/m 2 )‐paclitaxel (175 mg/m 2 ) was administered on a 3‐weekly schedule until disease progression, and patients were followed up for 12 months (post‐enrolment). The primary end point was objective response rate; secondary end points included duration of response, progression‐free survival and overall survival. Results: Overall 60 patients were enrolled. Their mean age was 46.9 (SD ± 9.0) years and 90% of patients had metastatic disease. All patients had previously received chemotherapy. A total of 48 patients (80%) completed the 12‐month follow up, and 40 patients (67%) completed at least six cycles of study therapy. The objective response rate (complete response + partial response) was 50% (95% CI: 36.6–63.4). Median duration of response was 5.6 months (95% CI: 4.4–7.6) and median progression‐free survival was 7.6 months (95% CI: 5.8–8.8). Overall survival at 12 months was 87% (95% CI: 77.9–95.2). Laboratory toxicities were primarily hematologic, including Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia ( n = 27 [45%]) and leukopenia ( n = 18 [30%]). Eight patient deaths (13%) were not treatment‐related. Conclusion: Gemcitabine‐paclitaxel combination therapy is an active and well‐tolerated chemotherapy regimen, with expected and manageable toxicity in Chinese patients with metastatic breast cancer.