Responses occurred at all sites of breast cancer involvement, and was also high in patients with liver, lung, visceral, or bone metastases. The median duration of response and time to disease progression were 59 weeks and 47 weeks, respectively. With a median follow-up to date of 23 months, the median survival has not yet been reached. The combination therapy was relatively well-tolerated. Severe fluid retention occurred in only one patient.
Breast cancer is abnormal cell growth originating in glandular breast tissue.
If not diagnosed early, these cells invade surrounding tissue and spread through the blood and lymph node system. Common sites of breast cancer metastases include the bone, lungs, liver, brain, and lymph nodes. Although many women are initially treated successfully, approximately 50 percent of breast cancer patients will eventually develop recurrent disease. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, accounting for 18 percent of all female cancers, and over 570,000 new cases are reported each year worldwide.