Phase II study of combination oıf carboplatin and chronic oral etoposide in pre-treated metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

The prognosis of metastatic breast cancer remains poor. Carboplatin and etoposide have activity in previously untreated patients with metastatic breast cancer. In this study, thirty-three patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated, with carboplatin (150 or 250 mg/m2) and 21 days of oral etoposide (50 mg/m2/d). All patients had been previously treated, 84% with hormonal treatment. Of the 32 evaluable patients no complete responses occurred and 13 patients (41%) achieved partial response with a mean time to progression of 5 months. Stable disease was seen in 34% and progressive disease in 25%. The median overall survival was 8.5 months (1-27 months). Toxicity was mainly myelosuppression in 34% of patients resulting in 9 episodes of febrile neutropenia and toxic death in one patient. The combination of carboplatin and chronic oral etoposide is active in pretreated metastatic breast cancer. No advantage of increased doses of carboplatin was observed. The activity of this combination in this schedule in previously untreated metastatic breast cancer remains to be verified.