Treatment Information

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Breast Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy, Biologic therapy.

Hospital Saint Louis, Paris, France.

Survival: monthsCountry:France
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:Paris
Treatments:Chemotherapy, Biologic therapyHospital:Hospital Saint Louis
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Jul 2005

Description:

Patients: This Phase II study involved 186 women with metastatic breast cancer. Ninety-two women (median age 53) were randomly assigned into Group A, and ninety-four (median age 55) were placed into Group B. The median number of metastatic sites was two and included lung, liver, bone, and soft tissue.

Treatment: Patients in Group A received two agents: trastuzumab (Herceptin) a monoclonal antibody and docetaxel (chemotherapy).

Toxicity: In Group A, grade 3/4 toxicities included: neutropenia, leukopenia, asthenia, alopecia, diarrhea, and headache. One patient died of progressive metastatic disease for whom the authors could not rule out trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity.

Results: For Group A, the median overall survival was 31.2 months.

The authors concluded that the combination therapy (trastuzumab and docetaxel) had a greater therapeutic benefit for patients with metastatic breast cancer than docetaxel-only treatment.

Support: Several authors disclosed being consultants, advisors, or honoraria recipients from F. Hoffman-La Roche Pharmaceuticals and Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Roche manufactures and markets trastuzumab, and Aventis manufactures and markets docetaxel.

Correspondence: Michel Marty, M.D., Ph.D.




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