Capecitabine and weekly paclitaxel as first-line therapy in Thai patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: The combination of a taxane and capecitabine offers synergistic antitumor activity. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and tolerability of a paclitaxel and capecitabine combination in Thai patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) not previously treated for metastatic disease.

Methods: This open-label, single-center, non-comparative phase II study was conducted between December 2006 and March 2009. In all 40 MBC patients were treated with oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1 to 14, and weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) in a 3-week cycle for a total of six cycles.

Results: After a median follow up of 13.4 months, an overall objective response rate of 80%, with a partial response of 74% and a complete response of 5% were achieved. While 8% of patients achieved stable disease, 13% had progressive disease. Median time to progress was 8 months and median overall survival was 24.4 months. One patient discontinued because of hypersensitivity to paclitaxel. There was no grade 4 toxicity. Skin and nail toxicity was found in 75% of patients (with 25% in grade 2 or 3), followed by neutropenia (45% in all with 15% in grades 2 or 3), neuropathy (25% in total with 5% in grade 2) and stomatitis and diarrhea (in both of which 5% experienced grade 1 severity).

Conclusions: A first-line regimen of weekly paclitaxel plus capecitabine is effective and tolerable in Thai MBC patients.