Results of chemotherapy using ifosfamide with doxorubicin in advanced breast cancer

Ifosfamide has single agent activity in advanced breast cancer and may potentiate the activity of doxorubicin. The combination of ifosfamide 5 g/m2 and doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for 4 cycles was used to treat 77 patients with advanced breast cancer. Fifty three patients had not received prior chemotherapy. All patients had one or more poor prognostic features, including tumor expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in 11/12 tested. The overall response rate was 74% (95% confidence intervals 62%-83%). The median survival was 9.4 months. The principal toxicities were febrile neutropenia and ifosfamide encephalopathy each in 6% of patients. A high percentage of the projected dose intensity was administered. This is a highly active combination with acceptable toxicity in advanced breast cancer, although the long term survival remains poor. Further exploration of ifosfamide in combination chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer is warranted.