Purpose: We evaluated chemotherapy after second-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Patients & methods: Retrospectively, we evaluated 27 patients who received chemotherapy after second line chemotherapy.
Results: Eighteen patients received anthracycline(A)and/or taxane(T)containing chemotherapy regimens, 16 patients received chemotherapy regimens containing anticancer drugs except A and T, and 13 patients received oral fluoropyrimidines. Of all 48 chemotherapy regimens, 15(31.4%)regimens demonstrated response to chemotherapy. The clinical response rate was statistically equal among each chemotherapy regimen, and whenever patients received chemotherapy in any line. In univariate analysis, hormone receptor status, ECOG performance status(PS), and response to the first- or second-line chemotherapy were significantly associated with clinical response to chemotherapy after second-line chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, only hormone receptor was significant. For overall survival according to response to first- or second-line chemotherapy, the difference was not significant. Meanwhile, overall survival according to response to chemotherapy after second-line chemotherapy was significant.
Conclusions: Chemotherapy after second-line chemotherapy demonstrated a response similar to any regimen or any line. Patients having negative hormone receptor should receive chemotherapy after second-line chemotherapy.