Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Capecitabine Therapy of Central Nervous System Metastases from Breast Cancer

  • Clinical-patient Studies
  • Published:
Journal of Neuro-Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases from breast cancer carry a poor prognosis. Systemic chemotherapy is often ineffective due to the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and inherent chemoresistance of CNS metastases. There are limited data supporting the use of capecitabine in this setting. Medical records of seven patients with brain metastases from breast cancer who received capecitabine treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1994–2006 were reviewed. Treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively in those patients. Median time from breast cancer diagnosis to the development of CNS metastasis was 48 (18–165) months. Four patients had brain metastases alone, two patients had both leptomeningeal and brain metastases and one patient had leptomeningeal metastasis alone. Five out of seven patients had failed other treatment modalities before capecitabine. Three patients showed complete response (CR) and three patients had stable disease (SD) after capecitabine. The patient with leptomeningeal disease improved clinically, but refused repeat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. Median overall and progression-free survival from initiation of capecitabine was 13 and 8 months, respectively, for all patients. Capecitabine may achieve a CR and provide long-term control in patients with both leptomeningeal and parenchymal CNS metastases from breast cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tsukada Y, Fouad A, Pickren JW et al (1983) Central nervous system metastasis from breast carcinoma. Autopsy study. Cancer 52:2349–2354

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Weil RJ, Palmieri DC, Bronder JL et al (2005) Breast cancer metastasis to the central nervous system. Am J Pathol 167:913–920

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Melisko ME, Kunwar S, Prados M et al (2005) Brain metastases of breast cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 5:253–268

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Fenner MH, Possinger K (2002) Chemotherapy for breast cancer brain metastases. Onkologie 25:474–479

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lin NU, Bellon JR, Winer EP (2004) CNS metastases in breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 22:3609–3617

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hikino H, Yamada T, Johbara K et al (2006) Potential role of chemo-radiation with oral capecitabine in a breast cancer patient with central nervous system relapse. Breast 15:97–99

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Rogers LR, Remer SE, Tejwani S (2004) Durable response of breast cancer leptomeningeal metastasis to capecitabine monotherapy. NeuroOncol 6:63–64

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wang MLH, Yung WKA, Royce ME et al (2001) Capecitabine for 5-fluorouracil resistant brain metastases from breast cancer. Am J Clin Oncol 24:421–424

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Giglio P, Tremont-Lukats IW, Groves MD (2003) Response of neoplastic meningitis from solid tumors to oral capecitabine. J Neurooncol 65:167–172

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Siegelmann-Danieli N, Stein M, Bar-Ziv J (2003) Complete response of brain metastases originating in breast cancer to capecitabine therapy. Isr Med Assoc J 5:833–834

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fabi A, Vidiri A, Ferretti G et al (2006) Dramatic regression of multiple brain metastases from breast cancer with capecitabine: another arrow at the bow? Cancer Invest 24:466–468

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Tham YL, Hinckley L, Teh BS et al (2006) Long-term clinical response in leptomeningeal metastases from breast cancer treated with capecitabine monotherapy: a case report. Clin Breast Cancer 7:164–166

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Church DN, Bahl A, Jones A et al (2006) Her-2 positive breast cancer brain metastases: multiple responses to systemic chemotherapy and trastuzumab—a case report. J Neurooncol 79:289–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rivera E, Meyers C, Groves M et al (2006) Phase I study of capecitabine in combination with temozolomide in treatment of patients with brain metastases from breast carcinoma. Cancer 107:1348–1354

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mata JF, Garcia-Manteiga JM, Lostao MP et al (2001) Role of human concentrative nucleoside transporter (hCNT1) in the cytotoxic action of 5 (Prime)-Deoxy-5-fluorouridine, an active intermediate metabolite of capecitabine, a novel oral anticancer drug. Mol Pharmacol 59:1542–1548

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Roche Xeloda (capecitabine) data sheet

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Meltem Ekenel, Adilia M. Hormigo, Scott Peak, Lisa M. DeAngelis & Lauren E. Abrey

Authors
  1. Meltem Ekenel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adilia M. Hormigo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott Peak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lisa M. DeAngelis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lauren E. Abrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meltem Ekenel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ekenel, M., Hormigo, A.M., Peak, S. et al. Capecitabine Therapy of Central Nervous System Metastases from Breast Cancer. J Neurooncol 85, 223–227 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-007-9409-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-007-9409-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation