<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Background</h3>
<p>A lower dose of capecitabine revealed better toxicity profiles and comparable efficacy in treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of lower dose of capecitabine in comparison with the standard dose.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Patients and methods</h3>
<p>Patients were enrolled in two groups. Group 1 included 21 patients who received the standard dose of capecitabine (1250 mg/m<sup>2</sup> twice daily [BID] for 14 days), while the patients in group 2 (19 patients) received lower dose of capecitabine (850 mg/m<sup>2</sup> BID for 14 days) every 3 weeks.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>In group 1, dose reduction was reported in 12 (57.1%) patients versus 1 patient in group 2 (5.3%; <italic>P</italic> = 0.0005). Patients in group 1 reported higher toxicity rates without any significant difference between the groups. The median duration of response was 17 weeks in group 1, while it was 19 weeks in group 2. Disease progression was recorded in 10 (47.6%) patients in group 1 versus 8 (42.1%) patients in group 2 (<italic>P</italic> = 0.81). The mean time to progression was 8.16 ± 0.63 months and the median was 10.1 months in group 1, while the mean was 8.98 ± 0.75 months and the median was 10 months in group 2 (<italic>P</italic> = 0.66). The overall survival had a mean of 11.94 ± 0.754 and 11.24 ± 0.665 months, while the median was 13.1 and 13 months in groups 1 and 2, respectively (<italic>P</italic> = 0.9).</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>A lower dose of capecitabine provides MBC patients with an active therapy that can be continued for prolonged periods to achieve long-term disease control without compromising its antitumor activity.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
A lower dose of capecitabine revealed better toxicity profiles and comparable efficacy in treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of lower dose of capecitabine in comparison with the standard dose.

Patients and methods
Patients were enrolled in two groups. Group 1 included 21 patients who received the standard dose of capecitabine (1250 mg/m2 twice daily [BID] for 14 days), while the patients in group 2 (19 patients) received lower dose of capecitabine (850 mg/m2 BID for 14 days) every 3 weeks.

Results
In group 1, dose reduction was reported in 12 (57.1%) patients versus 1 patient in group 2 (5.3%; P = 0.0005). Patients in group 1 reported higher toxicity rates without any significant difference between the groups. The median duration of response was 17 weeks in group 1, while it was 19 weeks in group 2. Disease progression was recorded in 10 (47.6%) patients in group 1 versus 8 (42.1%) patients in group 2 (P = 0.81). The mean time to progression was 8.16 ± 0.63 months and the median was 10.1 months in group 1, while the mean was 8.98 ± 0.75 months and the median was 10 months in group 2 (P = 0.66). The overall survival had a mean of 11.94 ± 0.754 and 11.24 ± 0.665 months, while the median was 13.1 and 13 months in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.9).

Conclusions
A lower dose of capecitabine provides MBC patients with an active therapy that can be continued for prolonged periods to achieve long-term disease control without compromising its antitumor activity.

Comparative study of low dose of capecitabine versus standard dose in metastatic breast cancer: Efficacy and safety

Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine

Forum of Clinical Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Background
A lower dose of capecitabine revealed better toxicity profiles and comparable efficacy in treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We aimed to...

Comparative study of low dose of capecitabine versus standard dose in metastatic breast cancer: Efficacy and safety

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Aug 09, 2021

Page range: 12 - 21

Received: Jul 05, 2019

Accepted: Nov 05, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fco-2019-0015

Keywords
Capecitabine, Metastatic breast cancer, Low dose, Standard dose, Efficacy, Safety

© 2021 Engy M Aboelnaga et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Comparative study of low dose of capecitabine versus standard dose in metastatic breast cancer: Efficacy and safety

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Aug 09, 2021

Page range: 12 - 21

Received: Jul 05, 2019

Accepted: Nov 05, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fco-2019-0015

KeywordsCapecitabine, Metastatic breast cancer, Low dose, Standard dose, Efficacy, Safety

© 2021 Engy M Aboelnaga et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Capecitabine, Metastatic breast cancer, Low dose, Standard dose, Efficacy, Safety