PHASE-II STUDY OF IFOSFAMIDE AND MESNA IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST-CANCER

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the activity of ifosfamide in pre viously treated patients with metastatic breast cancer. From June 1991 through November 1992, 29 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with single-agent ifosfamide, 2 g/m(2) intravenously daily fo r 5 days, with mesna support. All patients had previously received che motherapy; all but one had previously received cyclophosphamide. The i fosfamide-mesna regimen was the first-line metastatic regimen in 15 pa tients, the second-line metastatic regimen in 13 patients, and the thi rd-line metastatic regimen in one patient. Two partial remissions (7%) were observed; both occurred in the first-line metastatic group. The partial remissions were noted in patients who had completed adjuvant c yclophosphamide therapy 60 and 91 months earlier. Both responses were seen in lung metastases. The response durations were 5 and 8 months on continued therapy. The main adverse effects were granulocytopenia, fa tigue, nausea, vomiting, and stomatitis. At the dose used in this stud y, ifosfamide and mesna given without growth-factor support resulted i n significant myelosuppression and produced only two partial remission s (7%) in 29 patients. Further study of ifosfamide as an isolated agen t in previously treated patients is not warranted.