Efficacy of capecitabine-based combination therapy and single-agent capecitabine maintenance therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer

摘要

Objective: The purpose of this study was to observe the efficacy and toxicities of capecitabine-based chemotherapy and capecitabine monotherapy as maintenance therapy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer(MBC).Patients and methods: A total of 98 MBC patients were treated with capecitabine combined with vinorelbine(NX). Results: The median number of treatment was 6 cycles(1-7 cycles). There were two cases of complete remission(CR), 58 partial remission, 27 stable disease(SD), 11 progression disease. The overall response rate(ORR)(CR + PR) was 61.2%. The clinical benefit rate(CBR) was 75.5%. Fifty of effective patients received with capecitabine monotherapy as maintenance therapy. The ORR(CR + PR) was 4%. The CBR was 48%. The median progression-free survival(PFS) was 12 months. In maintenance therapy or not, the median post metastasis survival rate(MSR) was 63 and 28 months, respectively. In the combination therapy group, the major grade 3/4 toxicities included hand-foot syndrome(3.1%), skin pigmentation(2.0%), diarrhoea and abdominal distension(5.1%), stomatitis(1.0%), and leukopenia(20.4%).Conclusions: Capecitabine-based combination therapy and single-agent capecitabine maintenance therapy were well tolerated and effective to MBC.