Mitoxantrone, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide in advanced breast cancer

Thirty patients with advanced breast cancer, not pretreated with chemotherapy, received a polychemotherapy regimen containing mitoxantrone, fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide at the dose of 10 mg/m2, 500 mg/m2 and 500 mg/m2 i.v. respectively every 28 days. Out of 25 patients evaluable for response 9 patients achieved a partial remission (36%) for a median duration of 20.5 weeks. The main side effects were leukopenia (grade 3-4 in 70%) and nausea-vomiting (grade 3-4 in 27%). Alopecia was present only in 5 patients (17%). Three patients demonstrated instrumental signs of cardiotoxicity without clinical symptoms.