Adriamycin and CCNU in the treatment of advanced breast cancer
Muss, H.B.; White, D.R.; Richards, F.; Cooper, M.R.; Spurr, C.L.
Cancer Treatment Reports 60(11): 1687-1689
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-5960 PMID: 1021240 Document Number: 97671
Combination chemotherapy using adriamycin and CCNU [1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea] is capable of producing objective responses in patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer refractory to the 5 drug combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil and prednisone. The rate and duration of response appear to be very similar to that produced by adriamycin when used as a single agent. Prior regimens showed that adriamycin administered every 2 wk in conjunction with other agents is as effective as when given every 3 wk in patients with breast cancer. Previous experience demonstrated that with appropriate dosage modification for marrow toxicity, CCNU is well tolerated and efficacious when administered every 4 wk. No synergistic or additive effect of CCNU and adriamycin was demonstrated with the schedule used in this study. It is not anticipated that increasing the dosages with an almost certain increase in the considerable bone marrow toxicity observed would enhance the value of this combination. The combination of CCNU and adriamycin appears to be of limited value in the therapy of patients with advanced breast cancer who were exposed to intense prior chemotherapy. Its use in patients with untreated advanced recurrent cancer, especially in those patients with extensive local disease recurrence, needs to be further explored.