Effect of bevacizumab combined with docetaxel in the treatment of HER-2-negative recurrent metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE To explore the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with docetaxel in the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)-negative recurrent metastatic breast cancer. METHODS The clinical data of 128 patients with HER-2-negative recurrent metastatic breast cancer treated in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty-four patients were treated with bevacizumab combined with docetaxel (Bevacizumab group), while the remaining 64 patients were treated with docetaxel alone (Docetaxel group). The clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups, and the expressions of Ki-67, p53, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in breast cancer tissues were compared in both groups before and after treatment. The patient survival status and progression of disease were recorded through follow-up. RESULTS In Bevacizumab group and Docetaxel group, the objective response rate (ORR) was 57.8% and 39.1%, and the clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 90.6% and 81.3%, respectively. The ORR was significantly better in Bevacizumab group than that in Docetaxel group. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups. After treatment, the positive expression rates of Ki-67, p53, MMP-2 and MMP-9 obviously declined in both groups compared with those before treatment, showing statistically significant differences between the two groups. In Bevacizumab group and Docetaxel group, the mean overall survival (OS) was 13.3±5.5 months and 11.7±5.0 months, and the mean progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.1±2.6 months and 6.6±2.3 months, respectively. According to log-rank test, the OS rate was remarkably superior in Bevacizumab group to that in Docetaxel group (p=0.041), while the PFS rate had no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.095). CONCLUSIONS Bevacizumab combined with docetaxel has more excellent efficacy than docetaxel alone in the treatment of HER-2-negative recurrent metastatic breast cancer, and it prolongs the survival of patients, with tolerable adverse reactions, which is worthy of further clinical application.