MVP (MITOMYCIN-C, VINBLASTINE, CISPLATIN) SALVAGE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RELAPSED AND REFRACTORY METASTATIC BREAST-CANCER

Salvage chemotherapy for relapsed and refractory metastatic breast can cer is a challenging issue for oncologists. At our institution, the co mbination of mitomycin-C, vinblastine and cisplatin (MW) is used for t reatment. The records of 19 consecutive patients with refractory metas tatic breast cancer treated with MVP between April 1992 and October 19 95 were reviewed. The regimen consisted of mitomycin-C 6 mg/m(2), vinb lastine 6 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 60 mg/m(2), repeated every 3 to 4 week s. The median age of patients was 49 years (range, 35-71 yr). All pati ents bad clinically measurable or evaluable disease and a Karnofsky's performance status greater than or equal to 50%. The median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was two (range, 1-4). Eighteen (94.7%) pat ients had previously received an anthracycline/anthracenedione-contain ing regimen, and seven (36.9%) had a progression of disease during the se therapies. Sixteen patients had two or more sites of metastasis and 17 patients had visceral disease. The median duration of follow-up wa s 26 months. A mean of 3.5 courses (range, 1-7) was administered. One patient was lost to follow-up after one course of treatment. Of the re maining 18 patients, two complete and five partial responses were obse rved, for a total response rate of 37% (range, 17-61%, 95% CI). One of the partial responders had disease progression during anthracycline t reatment. Treatment-related toxicities were relatively well tolerated. There were no treatment-related deaths. The median duration of respon se was 3 months (range, 2-11 mo). The median overall survival was 7 mo nths (range, 1-32 mo). Our data suggest that the MVP regimen is an eff ective palliative treatment for patients with refractory metastatic br east cancer.