Effective palliation of advanced breast cancer with weekly low dose epirubicin

A single institution Phase II study of weekly low dose epirubicin was performed on patients with advanced breast cancer. They received epirubicin in doses approximating to 12 mg/m2 i.v. each week. Most patients had received prior hormone therapy and five had previous chemotherapy; all were post-menopausal. Only patients with bidimensionally measurable visceral or soft tissue metastatic lesions were eligible for objective assessment of response according to WHO criteria. Forty-two patients were evaluable for response and 46 were evaluable for toxicity. An objective response rate of 43% was observed (95% CI = 27.9-57.8%) confirming that epirubicin is an active single agent in breast cancer. Remarkably little toxicity was seen; 35% of patients reported no toxicity at all. Since this low dose weekly approach was so well tolerated, and yet was effective, useful palliation was achieved in this group of patients.