Safety and efficacy of moderate-dose capecitabine as first-line therapy in metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

Evaluation of: Kaufmann M, Maass N, Costa SD et al. First-line therapy with moderate dose capecitabine in metastatic breast cancer is safe and active: results of the MONICA trial. Eur. J. Cancer 46, 3184–3191 (2010).

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant disease in women. Although fewer than 10% of patients show metastatic disease at diagnosis, approximately one in every five patients will relapse. Great biologic heterogeneity in breast cancer is well known due to the implementation of newer molecular technologies. This knowledge has led to a better development and selection of new therapies. Regimens based on taxanes and anthracyclines are the classical treatments accepted as first-line therapy. Capecitabine is an orally administered systemic prodrug of 5´-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, which is converted to 5-fluorouracil with a favorable but different toxicity profile to other cytotoxic drugs. However, a considerable proportion of patients need to suspend or reduce the dose of capecitabine when it is administrated at the registered dose of 1250 mg/m² twice daily 14 days every 21 owing to adverse events. In this study, Kaufmann et al. show the activity and safety of capecitabina at a lower dose (1000 mg/m² twice daily) at first-line therapy in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Keywords::

• capecitabine
• first-line therapy
• metastatic breast cancer
• moderate dose

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.