Phase II study of weekly gemcitabine in patients with metastatic breast cancer relapsing or failing both an anthracycline and a taxane

A phase II study was performed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of gemcitabine as third-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic bre ast cancer, previously treated with both an anthracycline - and taxane-cont aining regimen. Twenty-three patients were treated with gemcitabine 1200 mg /m(2) in a 30-min infusion on day 1, 8 and 15 of a 28 day cycle. Seventy-fo ur percent of the patients had visceral metastases. No complete or partial responses were observed. Six patients (26%) had stable disease with a media n duration of 4.0 months. The median time to progression was 1.9 months and the median survival time was 7.8 months. Neutropenia grade 3 and 4 was obs erved in four patients (18%). Non-hematological toxicity grade 3 included n ausea and vomiting in 14%, skin toxicity in 9% and elevation of transaminas es in 23% of the patients. Gemcitabine is ineffective as third-line single agent therapy in patients failing anthracycline and taxane treatment for me tastatic breast cancer.