Combination Chemotherapy with Docetaxel and Doxifluridine showed a Beneficial Outcome in Advanced or Recurrent Breast Cancer Patients with Longer Disease-free Interval

Fundamental studies have confirmed that combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and doxifluridine (a capecitabine metabolite) is very useful in the treatment of breast cancer. This study investigated the usefulness and tolerability of a combination chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel administration on day 8 of doxifluridine therapy in 40 advanced/recurrent breast cancer patients. The overall response rate was 41.0% in 39 eligible patients. The median time to progression (TTP) for all patients was 295 days. Many responders had lung metastasis, soft tissue metastasis or a good performance status, whereas the clinical response showed no correlations with the estrogen receptor status or prior treatment with an anthracycline. The most common hematological toxicities were leukopenia and neutropenia, but dose reduction or delay of administration of either drug was unnecessary. Conclusion: The good response rate and long TTP of this doxifluridine plus docetaxel regimen indicate its potential as a first- or second-line treatment for advanced/recurrent breast cancer patients. Even when patients with advanced/recurrent breast cancer respond to drug treatment, achieving cure is often impossible. Nevertheless, chemotherapies are being established as standard therapies which play important roles in alleviating the disease symptoms and improving the patients' quality of life (QOL) (1). The response rate of advanced/recurrent breast cancer to chemotherapy is comparatively high, and combination chemotherapy regimens being currently carried out as standard chemotherapies include CMF (cyclophosphamide (CPA), methotrexate, 5-FU), CAF (CPA, adriamycin (ADM), 5-FU), AC (CPA, ADM) and the recently approved taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel), etc. (2). In recent years, the US FDA has approved the use of an oral fluorouracil (FU) agent (capecitabine) (3) in the treatment of taxane-refractory breast cancer. In Japan, doxifluridine, an intermediate metabolite of capecitabine, has been approved for use, and Niitani et al. found