Abstract:

Objective

To eval uate t he efficacy and toxicity of weekly palitaxel therapy for elderly metastatic breast cancer patients.

Methods

Fro m 2004 to 2007,33 patients,aged≥65 years(median age 68 years),with advanced metastatic breast cancer were ad mitted and treated in our depart ment.All patients were confir med pat hologicall y.Among the m,patients receiving initial paclitaxel t herapy after recurrence and metastasis were taken as t he first line t herapy gr oup(n=19),and patients who had received ot her che mot herapy bef ore were taken as t he second line t herapy gr oup.All patients were given paclitaxel at a dose of 80 mg/m² weekly on days 1,8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle.Pre medications consisted of diphenhydra mine,ci metidene and dexa met hasone.SPSS10.0 was used f or stastistcal analysis.Co mparison of efficacy,adverse effect and overall sur vival bet ween t he t wo groups was perf or med using Chi-square test.P ＜0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

All t he 33 patients were eval uable.The overall response rate(ORR)was 39%(13/33).Co mplete response(CR)was in one patient(3%),partial response(PC)in 12(12%),stable disease(SD)in 9(27%),and progressing disease(PD)in 11(33%).In the first line therapy group CR was in 1 case and PRin 7 cases;in the second line therapy group 5 cases obtained PR,with no statistical difference bet ween the t wo groups(P=0.26).The median chemotherapy cycle was 6 cycles.Twenty-t wo patients (67% )had clinical benefit.The median TTP (ti me to pr ogression)was 5.8 mont hs,and t he median overall sur vival(OS)was 16.1 mont hs.The adverse effect was mainl y myel osuppression and toxicit yin neuro muscle.Grade I-II toxicity was neutr openia and neur opathy.

Conclusion

For el derly metastatic breast cancer patients,paclitaxel as a single agent t herapy given weekly is eff ective and well tolerated.I mportantly,this regi men causes a low incidence of severe hematologic and non-he matologic toxicities.And it is also effective in t he treat ment of el derl y and poor perf or mance stat us patients wit h metastatic breast cancer.

Key words: Metastatic breast carcino ma, Paclitaxel, Efficacy