Abstract
Background
Most patients with breast cancer need anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens in the adjuvant setting, and an increasing number of them receive taxanes either in this setting or as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, no standard chemotherapy has been fully established for MBC patients pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 48 patients with MBC who had been treated with chemotherapy combining mitomycin C and methotrexate (MMC/MTX), following treatment with anthracycline and taxanes. MMC was given at a dose of 8 mg/m2 on day 1, and MTX of 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and day 15. The cycle was repeated every 4 weeks.
Results
There were 11 partial responses (24%). The median time to progression was 4.8 months. The response rate of liver metastasis was 31%. Thrombocytopenia (grade 3) was observed in five patients (10%). Other toxicity was mild and manageable.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that MMC/MTX could be an effective subsequent treatment for patients whose MBC has been pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.
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Abbreviations
- MMC:
-
Mitomycin C
- MTX:
-
Methotrexate
- MMC/MTX:
-
The combination chemotherapy with MMC and MTX
- MBC:
-
Metastatic breast cancer
- RBC:
-
Recurrent breast cancer
- CMF:
-
Cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/fluorouracil
- 3M:
-
MMC/MTX/Mitoxantrone
- MV:
-
Mitomycin C plus vinblastine
- WBC:
-
White blood cell counts
- ANC:
-
Absolute neutrocyte counts
- G1, G2, G3, G4:
-
Grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4
- CR:
-
Complete response
- PR:
-
Partial response
- SD:
-
Stable disease
- PD:
-
Progressive disease
- RR:
-
Response rate
- RECIST:
-
Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors
- NCI-CTC:
-
The National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria
- PS:
-
Performance status
- HER2:
-
Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2
- ER:
-
Estrogen receptor
- PgR:
-
Progesterone receptor
- HUS:
-
Hemolytic uremic syndrome
- CI:
-
Confidence interval
- TTP:
-
Time to progression
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Tanabe, M., Ito, Y., Tokudome, N. et al. Possible use of combination chemotherapy with mitomycin C and methotrexate for metastatic breast cancer pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes. Breast Cancer 16, 301–306 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0093-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0093-0