Treatment of refractory metastatic breast cancer with 5-fluorouracil and levofolinic acid as 48 hours continuous venous infusion.

Twenty-four consecutive patients with metastatic breast carcirioma (MBC) refractory to first line chemotherapy were treated with high-dose folinic acid (FA) 100 mg/m 2 diluted in 250 cc of normal saline as 2 hour infusion followed by 5-fluorouracil (5FU) 400 mg/m 2 bolus then 5FU 600 mg/m 2 as continuous infusion for 22 hours. This therapy was repeated for 2 consecutive days. Chemotherapy was repeated every 15 days. All enrolled patients were evaluable for objective response. A complete response was achieved in I patient (4%) and a partial response in 6 cases (25%) for an overall response rate of 29% (confidence limits 18%-39%). The median duration of objective responses was 8.4+ months (range 3.0+/12.8). Six patients showed no change (25%) with a median duration of 4.0 months II patients progressed (46%). A subjective improvemernt in tumor-related symptoms was reported by all respondirg patients and in 3 patients with no change. Most patients (7/10) with symptomatic bone lesions had a subjective improvement with reduction in analgesic drugs consumption. Objective responses were observed at all sites of disease. In fact, responses were seen in the skin liver lung bore and rodal metastases. The median overall survival was 13.0+ months (range 4.0/16.2+). Over a total of 160 cycles (a mean of 6.6 cycles/patient) grade 1-2 leukopenia was seen in 9 patients (37%) grade I thrombocytoperia in 4 patients (17%) and grade 1 anemia in only 2 cases (8%). Grade 3-4 leukopenia or thrombocytopenia were not seen. Phlebitis at the injection vein occurred in 3/10 patients (30%) which refuded to implant a central line. In patients with a central line or a port-a-cath no cases of vascula, toxicity were seen. Gastrointestinal toxicity was very mild with 9 patients (37%) suffering from grade 1- 2 nausea/vomiting 6 patients (25%) complaining of grade 1-2 diarrhea and 6 patients with grade 1-2 stomatitis. Hand-foot syndrome was observed in only I patient. No cases of grade 3-4 gastrointestinal toxicities have been, observed. No cases of cardiotoxicity and/or neurotoxicity were recorded. The combination of high-dose FA and 5FU given as 48 hour continuous venous infusion every 2 weeks is active, at least in terms of objective response rate and tumor-related symptoms palliation against anthracycline-refractory MBC. These results compare favorably with bolus administration of FA and 5FU or other salvage regimens.