Activity and tolerability of a combined palliative chemotherapy with mitomycin C, folinate, and 5-Fluorouracil in patients with advanced breast cancer after intensive pretreatment: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of a combined chemotherapy containing mitomycin, folinate, and 5-fluorouracil (MiFoFU) in patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer and reduced performance status, ie, elderly patients or heavily pretreated patients.

METHODS

We studied the charts of 76 patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer who received MiFoFU chemotherapy at our institution between 1997 and 2003. Primary end points were response and time-to-progression (TTP); secondary end points were overall survival (OAS) and tolerability.

RESULTS

Median age was 57 years. Seventeen patients had > or =2 palliative cytostatic treatments before; 19 patients were older 65 years. Patients received a median of 6 cycles. Clinical benefit rate was 58%. After MiFoFU, median TTP and OAS were 8 months and 14 months, respectively. Main nonhematologic toxicity was stomatitis (grade I/II, 21%) and diarrhea (grade I/II, 37%). Grade III/IV hematotoxicity was seen in 18 patients (24%).

CONCLUSIONS

A combined MiFoFU chemotherapy is a well-tolerated treatment option in the palliative therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer. In particular, the favorable efficacy/toxicity ratio in intensively pretreated or elderly patients makes this combination a reasonable alternative within these settings.