Reduced dose capecitabine is an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Fifty-seven patients with metastatic breast cancer have been treated with reduced dose capecitabine 1g/m2 twice daily for 14 days repeated every 3 weeks after failure of a number of chemotherapy regimens or hormonal treatment. The overall objective response rate was 28% with 2% complete response rate and 26% partial response. Twenty nine percent objective response rate was achieved in 17 patients pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes. The median duration of response and survival were 8.5 and 9 months, respectively. One and two year overall survival probabilities were 37% and 20%, respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse events (all grades) were hand-foot syndrome (HFS) (32%), nausea (21%) and diarrhoea (19%). Dose limiting toxicities, especially HFS were rare. Within the limits of phase II trial, this reduced dose of capecitabine appears as effective for advanced breast cancer as full dose capecitabine with a lower incidence of toxicity.