SINGLE-AGENT CARBOPLATIN CHEMOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED BREAST-CANCER

Bnckground: The treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer rema ins still disappointing. Therefore, new cytotoxic agents need to be te sted in order to identify a more effective treatment regimen. Carbopla tin is approved in the treatment of some tumor entities. Information o n its efficacy in breast cancer is limited. Materials and Methods: 17 patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with single-agent ca rboplatin administered either on day 1 (400 mg/m(2)) or day 1-3 (130 m g/m(2) each day). 7 patients had been heavily pretreated using hormone therapy, irradiation, and/or cytotoxic treatment. Results: In patient s with cutaneous metastases or lymph node involvement, an objective re sponse (CR and PR) rate of 53 % (8 out of 15 patients) could be achiev ed. No response was seen in patients with distant metastases to the bo ne or viscera. Hematologic toxicity was acceptable. Thrombocytopenia W HO grade III and IV was the most frequent side effect occurring in 16 % of treatment cycles. Nausea and vomiting WHO grade III and IV were o bserved in only 9 % of cycles. Conclusion: These results based on a sm all number of patients show a limited efficacy of carboplatin in breas t cancer patients. This is especially true for the treatment of locore gional recurrence. In these patients single-agent carboplatin may be c onsidered as a therapeutic alternative with an acceptable toxicity pro file.