Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine Therapy for Breast Cancer

• Published in: Clinical breast cancer 2002-05, Vol.3, p.S39-S44
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Rovira, Pedro, Jaén, Ana, Dueñas, Rosario, Porras, Ignacio, Martínez, Esther, Medina, Begoña, Mohedano, Nicolás, Fernández, Margarita, Lozano, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Deoxycytidine - administration & dosage; Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives; Doxorubicin; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Epirubicin; Epirubicin - administration & dosage; Female; Gemcitabine; HER2/ neu overexpression; Humans; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Taxanes; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1526-8209; 1938-0666
• DOI: 10.3816/CBC.2002.s.009

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has become a standard treatment in the management of locally advanced breast cancer. Patients with earlier-stage disease may also benefit from neoadjuvant treatment in terms of improved rates of breast-conserving surgery and thus better quality of life. Gemcitabine is a pyrimidine analogue that has shown activity in a variety of solid tumors, a good toxicity profile, and nonoverlapping toxicity with other chemotherapeutic agents. Several phase II/III studies are assessing gemcitabine combined with anthracyclines, taxanes, and/or vinorelbine both in the neoadjuvant and metastatic disease settings. This article reviews developments in neoadjuvant use of gemcitabine in combination with anthracyclines and taxanes. Several phase II trials of gemcitabine combined with doxorubicin/epirubicin or with doxorubicin/paclitaxel have been carried out. Preliminary findings demonstrate increased complete response rates and good tolerability of these regimens in patients with breast cancer.