Gemcitabine plus docetaxel versus capecitabine plus docetaxel forpatients with anthracycline-pretreated metastatic breast cancer: a review of the results of a European Phase III trial

Gemcitabine plus paclitaxel has been shown to be efficacious and safe for the treatment of anthracycline-pretreated metastaticbreast cancer (MBC) patients and was recently approved in this setting. The gemcitabine plus docetaxel combination has also been compared with capecitabine plus docetaxel as first- or second-line treatment for anthracycline-pretreated MBC patients. The trial compared progression-free survival, overall response rate, time to treatment failure, overall survival, toxicity and quality of life. The first results of this trial were reported recently at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. Efficacy was similar in both groups. However, statistically significant differences were found in terms of toxicity. Non-haematological toxicity was low in both treatment arms. However, diarrhoea, mucositis and hand-and-foot syndrome were more pronounced in the capecitabine plus docetaxel arm. In addition, more frequent serious adverse events occurred in the capecitabine plus docetaxel arm, causing discontinuation in 28% of patients. There were two toxic deaths, both in the capecitabine plus docetaxel arm.