[Anticancer effect of peplomycin on advanced recurrent breast cancer]

The anticancer effect of peplomycin (PEP) on advanced or recurrent breast cancer was investigated clinically and histopathologically. Stage III (n = 12), Stage IV (n = 2) and recurrent (n = 6) breast cancer patients were treated with PEP of which 10 mg were administered 3 times a week for 3 weeks either intravenously (n = 13) or intra-arterially (n = 7, via a catheter inserted into the subclavian artery). A decrease in tumor volume of more than 50% was obtained in 38.5% of the intravenously treated cases and in 28.6% the intra-arterially treated cases. Histologically, grades II b and III were observed in 66% of patients according to Oboshi's classification. These investigations suggest the effectiveness of PEP on breast cancer.