COMPARISON OF RESPONSE TO 5'-DEOXY-5-FLUOROURIDINE THERAPY ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH TAMOXIFEN OR MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE IN ADVANCED AND RECURRENT BREAST-CANCER

We studied the therapeutic usefulness of low dose 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouri dine (5'-DFUR) alone and in combination with medroxyprogesterone aceta te (MPA) or tamoxifen (TAM). As first line therapy, 58 patients with a dvanced and recurrent breast cancer were assigned to receive Regimen A (5'-DFUR 600 mg/body/day daily + TAM 30 mg/body/day daily), Regimen B (5'-DFUR 600 mg/body/day daily + MPA 600 mg/body/day daily), or Regim en C (5'-DFUR 600 mg/body/day daily). In 48 evaluable patients, the re sponse rates to treatment were 22.2% (4/18 cases) with Regimen A, 62.5 % (10/16 cases) with Regimen B, and 21.4% (3/14 cases) with Regimen C. Regimen B was significantly superior to the other two regimens. The i ncidence of adverse reactions was low in all three groups, being 10.5% (2/19 cases) with Regimen A, 12.5% (2/16 cases) with Regimen B, and 2 1.4% (3/14 cases) with Regimen C. In addition, the degree of all adver se reactions was mild (WHO grade 1). Low dose 5'-DFUR therapy in combi nation with low dose MPA was evaluated to be a useful treatment regime n, emphasizing the quality of life of patients, based on its high effe ctiveness and safety in advanced and recurrent breast cancer patients.