Efficacy And Toxicity Of Gemcitabine In Combination With Vinorelbine On Metastatic Breast Cancer

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the major malignant tumor to endanger women's health. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in recent years. Chemotherapy is one of major treatments for metastatic breast cancer. Many patients have used two most active agents, anthracyclines and taxanes, as postoperative adjuvant or first-line therapy. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine in combination with vinorelbine in patients with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes. Methods: Twenty patients with metastatic breast cancer were involved in this study. All patients had been previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes. Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m~2) and vinorelbine (25 mg/m~2 ) were administered on days 1 and day 8 every 3 weeks, for at least 2 cycles. Clinical therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated by CT scan every 2 cycles. The adverse reactions were recorded carefully. Results: One out of 20 patients stopped her treatment because of severe rash and bone marrow depression appeared in the first cycle. The treatment responses were evaluable in other 19 patients. Of the 19 patients, 1 achieved complete remission (CR), 5 achieved partial remission (PR), 9 were stable disease (SD), 4 were progressive disease (PD). The response rate (CR + PR) was 31.6% (6 /19). The clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + SD) was 78.9% (15 /19). Grade I and grade II myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting, peripheral neurological toxicity, rash were the major side effects. Conclusions: The regimen gemcitabine combined with vinorelbine is effective and safe for metastatic breast cancer patients previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes.