CONCURRENT 72-HOUR CONTINUOUS-INFUSION OF ETOPOSIDE AND CISPLATIN IN METASTATIC BREAST-CANCER

We conducted a multiinstitutional phase II clinical trial to determine the toxicity, response, and survival rate of concurrent 72-h continuo us infusion of etoposide and cisplatin in patients with metastatic bre ast cancer. A total of 26 women were enrolled, 4 of whom received no p rior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. All patients were evaluated for toxicity, response, and survival employing the National Cancer Ins titute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria and the Eastern Cooperative Onco logy Group (ECOG) response criteria. A total of 84 cycles of therapy w ere administered, median 3 (range 1 to 6). Severe grade 3 and grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 22 cycles (26%), and there were only II episod es (11%) of similar grade thrombocytopenia. Nausea and vomiting were s een in one third of cycles. A single patient (4%) had a complete remis sion, and seven patients (27%) had partial remissions for an overall o bjective response rate of 31% (95% confidence interval, 13 to 49%). Th ree of four patients (75%) without prior therapy for metastatic diseas e had objective responses. Median survival was 7 months. This combinat ion regimen is active in extensively treated patients with metastatic breast cancer. It is reasonable to further investigate the role of eto poside-cisplatin combination chemotherapy as first-line therapy for pa tients with metastatic breast cancer.