Clinical Study

Salvage Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer with Docetaxel and Carboplatin
A Multicenter Phase II Trial
D. Mavroudis^a, A. Alexopoulos^b, N. Malamos^c, A. Ardavanis^b, C. Kandylis^b, E. Stavrinidis^b, Ch. Kouroussis^a, S. Agelaki^a, N. Androulakis^a, V. Bozionelou^a, V. Georgoulias<sup>a

a</sup>Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion,
^bFirst Department of Medical Oncology, 'Agios Savas' Anticancer Hospital of Athens, and
^cOncology Unit of 'Marika Heliadis' Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece

Address of Corresponding Author

Oncology 2003;64:207-212 (DOI: 10.1159/000069306)

  Key Words

• Salvage treatment
• Docetaxel
• Carboplatin
• Metastatic breast cancer

  Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel in combination with carboplatin as salvage treatment in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Patients and Methods: Chemotherapy-pretreated women with MBC were treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m² as 1-hour i.v. infusion followed by carboplatin AUC 6 mg/ml·min, using the Calvert's formula, as 30-min i.v. infusion. Cycles were repeated on an outpatient basis every 3 weeks. Results: Thirty-six patients received a total of 210 chemotherapy cycles (median 6 cycles/patient). All but one patient had previously received anthracyclines for the treatment of metastatic disease and half of the patients had failed to respond to front-line treatment. Twenty-eight (78%) patients had visceral disease. On an intention-to-treat analysis there were three (8%) complete and 19 (53%) partial responses for an overall response rate of 61% (95% CI: 45.2-77.0%). The response rate was 44% (2 CRs, 6 PRs) among 18 patients who had progressive or stable disease as best response to front-line treatment. The median duration of response was 8 months, the median time to tumor progression 10 months, and the probability of 1-year survival 66%. Grade 3-4 neutropenia was the main hematologic toxicity occurring in 16 (45%) patients or 36 (17%) cycles. Seven (19%) patients developed 8 (4%) febrile neutropenic episodes. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia occurred in 4 (11%) patients or 6 (3%) cycles. Non-hematologic toxicity was generally mild. G-CSF was used in 19 (53%) patients or 134 (64%) cycles. There was one sudden death possibly related to the treatment. Conclusion: The docetaxel-carboplatin combination is an active outpatient salvage regimen for the treatment of women with MBC relapsing or not responding to anthracycline-based front-line therapy.

Copyright © 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dimitris Mavroudis, MD, PhD
University General Hospital of Heraklion
Department of Medical Oncology, PO Box 1352
GR-71110 Heraklion, Crete (Greece)
Tel. +30 81 392747, Fax +30 81 392802, E-Mail mavrudis@med.uoc.gr

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 32