Cancer Res Treat.  2008 Jun;40(2):81-86.

Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine Combination Chemotherapy in Anthracycline- and Taxane-pretreated Advanced Breast Cancer

• Kim HJ
• Kim JS
• Seo MD
• Oh SY
• Oh DY
• Kim JH
• Lee SH
• Kim DW
• Im SA
• Kim TY
• Heo DS
• Bang YJ

Abstract

PURPOSE: Anthracycline and taxanes are effective agents in advanced breast cancer and prolong survival times. Some patients achieve prolongation of life with capecitabine, gemcitabine, or vinorelbine, even after failure of both anthracycline and taxanes. We analyzed the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine and vinorelbine combination chemotherapy in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated advanced breast cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The medical records of anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients who received gemcitabine and vinorelbine combination chemotherapy at the Seoul National University Hospital were reviewed. Gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2) and vinorelbine (25 mg/m2) were administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks.
RESULTS
Between 2000 and 2006, 57 patients were eligible (median age, 45 years), and the median number of previous chemotherapy regimens was 3 (range, 1~5). The overall response rate was 30% (95% CI, 18.1~41.9), and the disease control rate was 46% (PR, 30%; SD, 16%). The median duration of follow-up was 33.4 months, the median time-to-progression (TTP) was 3.9 months, and the median overall survival was 10.8 months. None of thepatients with patients with anthracycline and taxane primary resistance showed a response and the median TTP for these patients was significantly shorter than that of other patients (1.9 vs. 4.4 months; p=0.018). Although the efficacy was unsatisfactory in patients with both anthracycline and taxane primary resistance, gemcitabine and vinorelbine combination chemotherapy showed comparable efficacy in anthracycline- and/or taxane-sensitive patients and the patients with secondary resistance, even after failure of second-line therapy. Grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (18.1%) and febrile neutropenia (0.3%), and non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable.
CONCLUSION
Gemcitabine and vinorelbine combination chemotherapy in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated advanced breast cancer was effective and tolerable.

Keyword

Gemcitabine; Vinorelbine; Breast neoplasms; Anthracycline; Taxane

MeSH Terms

Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Bridged Compounds
Deoxycytidine
Drug Therapy, Combination
Fluorouracil
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Life Support Care
Medical Records
Neutropenia
Taxoids
Thymine Nucleotides
Vinblastine
Capecitabine
Bridged Compounds
Deoxycytidine
Fluorouracil
Taxoids
Thymine Nucleotides
Vinblastine

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Kaplan-Meier curves of survival date. (A) Time-to-progression (months) (B) Overall survival (months).

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