Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4A
pubmed:dateCreated
1997-9-3
pubmed:abstractText
Randomized trials suggest that the outcome of metastatic breast cancer (BC) patients is not affected by the currently available therapies. Although response rates per se may be associated with survival prolongation, patients experiencing objective response may be those patients fated to have the longest natural disease history. The separation of responders from progressing patients after first-line chemotherapy could allow the selection of a more homogeneous subgroup in which further treatment strategies might achieve a better control of the disease. This study investigated the influence of some patient characteristics, disease characteristics, and previous treatments on the outcome of non progressing patients after first-line chemotherapy with epirubicin administration. We also evaluated the effect of the maintenance endocrine therapy in improving response rate and overall survival (OS). From May 91 to May 93, 207 patients were enrolled in a randomized trial aiming to compare the activity of epirubicin (120 mg/sqm) +/- lonidamine (600 mg/daily). Among the 169 patients attaining complete (CR), partial response (PR) or disease stabilization (SD), 65 were not randomly submitted to maintenance endocrine therapy (MET). Liver involvement, previous adjuvant chemotherapy and previous hormonal therapy (administered in adjuvant setting or for advanced disease) were found to negatively influence OS both in univariate and multivariate analysis. Differences in OS stratifying patients according to DFI, estrogen receptor status and PS did not attain statistical significance. Patients receiving MET survived significantly longer than those submitted to observation and this difference maintained the statistical significance also within patient subsets homogeneous for specific prognostic features. In conclusion, most prognostic factors for advanced BC have been confirmed in our series of patients obtaining CR, PR or SD to full dose epirubicin. The positive prognostic impact of MET is impressive and deserves confirmation in randomized studies.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0250-7005
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
17
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2763-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-4-24
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:articleTitle
Prognostic factors in metastatic breast cancer patients obtaining objective response or disease stabilization after first-line chemotherapy with epirubicin. Evidence for a positive effect of maintenance hormonal therapy on overall survival.
pubmed:affiliation
Universitá di Torine, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Clinical Trial, Randomized Controlled Trial, Multicenter Study, Clinical Trial, Phase III