Bevacizumab combined with two-weekly paclitaxel as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer

Metastatic breast cancer remains a major clinical issue despite progress achieved in recent years. Three randomised trials have demonstrated the benefit of combining bevacizumab with various taxane schedules. Herein, this study sought to investigate an alternative bevacizumab-taxane regimen as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

Patients with metastatic breast cancer and who received first-line bevacizumab 10 mg/kg with paclitaxel 135 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks were studied.

All 43 enrolled patients were evaluable for efficacy and safety. The response rate was 58%; a further 40% achieved stable disease. After a median follow-up of 16 months, disease had progressed in 9 patients (21%). Treatment was well tolerated: grade 4 toxicities were absent; grade 3 adverse events comprised neutropenia (5%; no febrile neutropenia), hypertension (2%) and neuropathy (2%).

This regimen may provide improved patient acceptability, quality of life and pharmacoeconomic benefits over a weekly paclitaxel schedule, and deserves further evaluation.