PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Marguerite F Rosales

Publications and source records attributed to Marguerite F Rosales.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Weekly paclitaxel improves pathologic complete remission in operable breast cancer when compared with paclitaxel once every 3 weeks.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact a change in schedule of paclitaxel administration from once every 3 weeks to frequent administration would have on the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in the breast and lymph nodes for patients with invasive breast cancer treated with primary systemic chemotherapy (PST). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with clinical stage I-IIIA breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive PST of paclitaxel doses administered either weekly (for a total of 12 doses of paclitaxel) or once every 3 weeks (four cycles), followed by four cycles of fluorouracil/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (FAC) in standard doses every 3 weeks. Two different doses of paclitaxel were used based on lymph node status defined by ultrasound and fine needle aspiration. Clinical response and extent of residual disease in the breast and lymph nodes was assessed after completion of all chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 258 patients were randomly assigned to receive doses of paclitaxel administered either weekly or once every 3 weeks, followed by FAC. Of these 258 patients, 110 patients had histologic lymph node involvement and 148 patients had clinical N0 disease. Weekly paclitaxel followed by FAC was administered to 127 patients and once-every-3-weeks paclitaxel followed by FAC was administered to 131 patients. Clinical response to treatment was similar between groups (P = .25). Patients receiving weekly paclitaxel had a higher pCR rate (28.2%) than patients treated with once-every-3-weeks paclitaxel (15.7%; P = .02), with improved breast conservation rates (P = .05). CONCLUSION: The change in schedule of paclitaxel from once every 3 weeks to a more frequent administration significantly improved the ability to eradicate invasive cancer in the breast and lymph nodes.

Adult↗

A detailed evaluation of cardiac toxicity: a phase II study of doxorubicin and one- or three-hour-infusion paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: This Phase II study was designed to determine the efficacy and toxicity of combination doxorubicin and paclitaxel as front-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Eligible patients had no prior anthracycline or taxane therapy and normal cardiac function. They were treated with bolus doxorubicin 60 mg/m2, followed by paclitaxel 200 mg/m2, as either 1- or 3-h infusions for six to seven cycles. Single-agent paclitaxel was continued thereafter. Serial multiple gated acquisition scans were performed, and endomyocardial biopsies were performed for consenting patients. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were enrolled with a median age of 53 years (range, 32-78 years). Of 79 evaluable patients, 58.2% had an objective response (3.8% complete response + 54.4% partial response), 34.2% had stable disease, and 7.6% had progressive disease. With median follow-up of 37.5 months, median time to progression was 7 months; median survival was 31 months. Multiple gated acquisition scans were performed in 82 of 82 patients at baseline, 75 of 82 patients at a total doxorubicin dose of 60-180 mg/m2, 62 of 68 patients at 200-300 mg/m2, 18 of 52 patients at 310-360 mg/m2, and 4 of 8 patients at 420 mg/m2. Median ejection fractions were 62.5, 60, 57.5, 52.5, and 32%, respectively. Fifteen of 82 (18.3%) patients had a decrease in ejection fraction > or = 15% to an absolute ejection fraction < or = 50%. Eight of these 15 patients (53%) developed clinical congestive heart failure: 4 of 8 (50%) who received a total doxorubicin dose of 420 mg/m2 versus 4 of 74 (5.4%) who received a dose < or = 360 mg/m2 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: When the doxorubicin dose exceeds 360 mg/m2, the combination of bolus doxorubicin and paclitaxel presents unacceptable cardiac risk.

Adult↗