VINORELBINE AND MITOMYCIN-C COMBINATION IN PREVIOUSLY ANTHRACYCLIN TREATED METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

Vinorelbine (VNB), a semisynthetic vinca alkaloid, is an active drug in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We investigated the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of the combination of VNB and mitomycin C (MMC) in patients (pts) with anthracyclin treated MBC. Forty-one pts with anthracycline pretreated MBC were treated with a combination of MMC 10 mg/m2 iv on day 1, and VNB 25 mg/m2 iv on days 1 and 8 every 28 days. Median age was 54 years. Responses were evaluated according to the WHO criteria. Thirty-seven pts were evaluated for response and toxicity: 3 (8.1%) achieved complete response and 11 (29.7%) achieved partial response. Objective response rate was 37.8% with a median duration of 9 months. Five pts (13.5%) showed no change, and 18 pts (48.6%) progressed. These responses are particularly impressive in liver and in soft tissue lesions. Treatment was very well tolerated by most patients. Dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression. Grade 4 leukopenia was recorded in 10% of pts, and grade 4 thrombocytopenia was seen in 5% of pts. Non-hematologic toxicity was mild and transient. These results suggest that the combination of VNB and MMC is an active regimen with mild toxicity in previously anthracyclin treated MBC.