A recent study has found out that a combination of two chemotherapy regimens namely, Epirubicin plus Docetaxel (ED) and Epirubicin plus Cyclophosphamide (EC) are very effective in combating metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
According to Peter Schmid of Imperial College London, UK, the goals of the treatment was to provide stronger relief for patients who are suffering from Metastatic Breast Cancer and prolong their lifespan even with the disease.
The study conducted by Schmid and his team was a randomized phase III trial. They compared the reliability and the potency of both the ED compared to EC in 236 patients who were diagnosed with MBC.
The group of patients was assigned to receive both EC and ED with 3-week span on a six to eight treatment cycles. The 236 patients were randomly given EC (75mg of epirubicin plus 75mg of cyclophosphamide) or ED (75mg of epirubicin plus 75mg of docetaxel).
It was later found out that patients who were given EC had an ORR or objective response rate of 42%, while patients who received ED had 47%. With these results, researchers have proven that both chemotherapy regimens do not have a significant difference of results.
Not only that, after a median follow up within 24 months, 71% of those who have taken EC and 73% of those who have taken ED (171 out of the 236 patients) were observed to have tumor progression–free. The months of survival was also observed. Patients who were under EC have 10.1 months median progression– free survival time while those with ED have 10.3 months.
The overall survival between the two groups of patients was similar with EC having 19.9 months and ED having 30.0months. EC has a 1 year survival rate of 65.8% while ED has 75.8%.
There were reduced results of febrile neutropenia on both arms of observed patients. However grade 3 or 4 leucopenia or decreased number of white blood cells was observed to be more frequent on ED having 81% than with EC having only 73%. Congestive heart failure was also observed in one patient of both arms.
“This randomized trial confirmed the tolerability and the expected high antitumor activity of anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment of MBC,” said Peter Schmid and the co-authors in the Annals of Oncology.
“The study failed, however, to demonstrate a benefit of the taxane-anthracycline combination over the taxane-free combination,” they added.
