Weekly-dose doxorubicin (WDA) in advanced breast cancer.

Doxorubicin in a weekly fixed dose of 20 mg as i.v. bolus (WDA) was given to 48 patients with mostly pretreated progressing breast cancer. The response rate (CR + PR) was 9/48 (19%), and a further 16 (33%) of the patients achieved stable disease. Myelosuppression was mild and without clinical significance. Other side effects, particularly nausea, vomiting and hair loss were also relatively mild. Cardiac toxicity, however, was seen in six patients. Five of these six patients were previously treated with mitoxantrone or combination chemotherapy containing doxorubicin. Median response duration was 10+ months for responders and 11+ months in patients who had stable disease. It is concluded that weekly-dose doxorubicin has a favourable profile with a low frequency of side effects and that this treatment is an alternative to other cancer chemotherapy in breast cancer, especially when not only CR and PR but even stabilization of disease is considered of benefit to the patient.