LEVO FOLINIC ACID AND 5-FLUOROURACIL PLUS HIGH-DOSE EPIDOXORUBICIN AS1ST LINE TREATMENT FOR METASTATIC BREAST-CARCINOMA

Twenty-two women affected by metastatic breast carcinoma have been tre ated with a combination of levo folinic acid 100 mg/m2 plus 5 - fluoro uracil 450 mg/m2 i. v. on day 1-2, and epidoxorubicin 75-90 mg/m2 on d ay 2. This treatment cycle was repeated every 21-28 days. No patients had previously received chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Fourteen patients (64%) showed a major objective response with 3 complete (14%) and 11 partial responses (50%). Three patients showed a stabilization of disease and 5 (23%) progressed. All patients received ondansetron as antiemetic treatment which led to complete protection from vomiting in 68% of cases. Grade 1-2 diarrhea was recorded in 27% of the patien ts. Ten patients received recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimula ting factor (rhG - CSF) as leukopenia-preventive treatment. In this gr oup of patients the interval between chemotherapeutic cycles was short er than in the group of 12 patients who did not receive rhG - CSF.