Simultaneous 24 h-infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and sodium-folinate as alternative to capecitabine in advanced breast cancer

Abstract

Background/aim: Prognosis of metastatic breast cancer is poor with a 5-year survival rate of 21%. Even though it is incurable, the majority of patients needs a treatment to ameliorate symptoms and prolong survival. If chemotherapy is indicated, toxicity of multi-drug regimens often out-weighs the possible gain, making single-agent chemotherapy the preferred choice. Although capecitabine is frequently used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, it is not a therapeutic option for all patients.

Patients and methods: Since simultaneous application of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and sodium folinate is a promising alternative treatment for certain patients, we reviewed the cases of 26 patients treated at our site.

Results: Progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.6 months and overall survival (OS) was 18.5 months with a beneficial toxicity profile.

Conclusion: The efficacy of simultaneous high level 5-FU and sodium folinate is comparable to other frequently used single-agent chemotherapies, while the toxicity profile is favorable.

Keywords: 5-FU; Advanced-stage breast cancer; chemotherapy; metastatic breast cancer; sodium folinate.