The Breast : official journal of the European Society of Mastology
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To evaluate the cardiotoxicity, general toxicity, and activity of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, in combination with docetaxel and trastuzumab, as first-line therapy in metastatic breast cancer. Thirty-one patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing breast cancer, who had not previously received chemotherapy for metastatic disease, received non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)), docetaxel (75 mg/m(2)) and trastuzumab (2 mg/kg/week) for up to eight cycles, followed by trastuzumab alone for up to 52 weeks. Cardiotoxicity was defined as a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to below 45%, or a decrease in LVEF of at least 20% from baseline. ⋯ The best overall response rate was 65.5%. Median time to progression was 13.0 months. The combination of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, docetaxel and trastuzumab combines acceptable cardiac and general toxicity and promising activity as first-line therapy in metastatic breast cancer.
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The study examines the management and outcomes of women with early invasive breast cancer treated in rural and metropolitan centres over a nine-year observation period. A prospective audit of the treatment and outcomes of 2081 women with early breast cancer who underwent potentially curative surgery between 1997 and 2006 in metropolitan Canberra or in the surrounding rural region was completed. Overall, there was good agreement between published guidelines and the treatment received by the women in the study. ⋯ There were differences in both the care provided and treatment outcomes between women treated in rural centres and women treated in metropolitan centres. However, the increased non-cancer related mortality in women treated in rural centres suggests an increased medical comorbidity in this group. Initiatives supporting rural-based surgeons to adopt new procedures such as sentinel node biopsy may help to optimise rural breast cancer treatment.