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Last Modified: 5/3/2007     First Published: 1/1/1994  
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Phase III Randomized Study of Mitoxantrone With or Without Docetaxel as First-Line Chemotherapy for Women With Poor Risk Metastatic Breast Cancer

Alternate Title
Basic Trial Information
Objectives
Entry Criteria
Expected Enrollment
Outline
Published Results
Related Publications
Trial Contact Information
Registry Information

Alternate Title

Mitoxantrone With or Without Docetaxel in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

Basic Trial Information

Phase
Type
Status
Age
Sponsor
Protocol IDs

Phase III


Treatment


Closed


80 and under


Other


GER-AIO-01/92
EU-93011, NCT00002544

Objectives

  1. Compare the survival and quality of life scores (composed of time to progression, WHO performance status, subjective patient evaluation, and subjective adverse event profile) among women with metastatic breast cancer of unfavorable prognosis treated with mitoxantrone vs mitoxantrone plus docetaxel as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic disease.
  2. Compare the remission rate, time to remission, remission duration, time to best response, objective adverse events, and patient acceptance of treatment on these 2 regimens.
  3. Investigate which prognostic subgroups of women benefit from treatment.

Entry Criteria

Disease Characteristics:

  • Histologically proven metastatic breast cancer of poor prognosis, defined by any of the following characteristics:
    • Patient aged 35 or under
    • Liver metastases
    • Lung metastases combined with other disease manifestations
    • Lung metastases without other disease manifestations but with a disease free interval of no more than 18 months


  • Indication for chemotherapy documented by either:
    • Hormone receptor negativity

      OR

    • Hormone resistant disease


  • Measurable metastatic disease required
    • Nonmeasurable disease includes:
      • Metastases verified only histologically
      • Tumor parameters not precisely measurable (e.g., bone marrow involvement, lymphangitic disease)


  • No CNS metastasis or bone marrow carcinomatosis


  • Hormone receptor status:
    • Receptor status known


Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

Biologic therapy:

  • No concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

  • No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease
  • Greater than 1 year since prior adjuvant chemotherapy
  • No prior anthracycline or anthraquinone

Endocrine therapy:

  • Hormone resistant disease required of receptor positive patients
  • No concurrent endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy:

  • No prior mediastinal irradiation
  • Adjuvant irradiation of parasternal nodes eligible
  • No prior irradiation to more than 25% of bone marrow
  • No concurrent irradiation of sole measurable lesion

Surgery:

  • Not specified

Other:

  • No concurrent anticoagulant therapy

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

  • 80 and under

Sex:

  • Female

Menopausal status:

  • Not specified

Performance status:

  • WHO 0-2

Life expectancy:

  • At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

  • WBC greater than 4,000/mm3
  • Absolute granulocyte count greater than 2,000/mm3
  • Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

  • Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 6 times ULN
  • SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 3 times ULN

Renal:

  • Creatinine no greater than 1.15 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

  • No uncontrolled hypertension
  • No congestive heart failure within the past 6 months
  • No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

Other:

  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception
  • No acute or chronic infection
  • No second primary tumor
  • No other serious illness

Expected Enrollment

300

A total of 300 patients will be accrued for this study.

Outline

This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to age, treatment center, disease free interval (no more than 18 months vs more than 18 months), hormone receptor status (positive or unknown vs negative), prior adjuvant therapy with anthracyclines (yes vs no), presence of liver metastases (liver involvement as a single organ vs liver plus other organ involvement vs no liver involvement), and presence of lung metastases (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

  • Arm I: Patients receive mitoxantrone IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or maximum cumulative dose. Patients who achieve complete response receive 2 additional courses.


  • Arm II: Patients receive mitoxantrone IV plus docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.


At relapse, reinduction with the original regimen is attempted. Following a second complete response, 2 additional courses of consolidative treatment are given, and patients are then followed off treatment.

Quality of life is assessed periodically.

Published Results

Heidemann E, Stoeger H, Souchon R, et al.: Is first-line single-agent mitoxantrone in the treatment of high-risk metastatic breast cancer patients as effective as combination chemotherapy? No difference in survival but higher quality of life were found in a multicenter randomized trial. Ann Oncol 13 (11): 1717-29, 2002.[PUBMED Abstract]

Related Publications

Heidemann E, Souchon R, Stoger H, et al.: First-line monochemotherapy with mitoxantrone versus combination with fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide in high-risk metastatic breast cancer: a prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial. Onkologie 23(1): 54-59, 2000.

Heidemann E, Stoeger H, Souchon R, et al.: Balance of time to progression, quality of life, and overall survival: more gain from treatment in single agent treatment with mitoxantrone (N) than with the combination of fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide (FEC). Results of a multicenter randomized trial in high risk metastatic breast cancer (MBC). [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology A-284, 74a, 2000.

Loibl S, von Minckwitz G, Souchon R, et al.: Phase I/II study with mitoxantrone (N) vs. NDOC in patients with high risk locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 18: A512, 1999.

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations

Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Internistische Onkologie

Else Heidemann, MD, Protocol chair
Ph: 49-711-991-3501

Registry Information
Official Title MITOXANTRONE (N) VS. 5-FLUOROURACIL, EPIRUBICIN AND CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE AS FIRST-LINE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER AND AN UNFAVORABLE PROGNOSIS
Trial Start Date 1993-05-18
Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00002544
Date Submitted to PDQ 1993-05-18
Information Last Verified 2001-04-23

Note: The purpose of most clinical trials listed in this database is to test new cancer treatments, or new methods of diagnosing, screening, or preventing cancer. Because all potentially harmful side effects are not known before a trial is conducted, dose and schedule modifications may be required for participants if they develop side effects from the treatment or test. The therapy or test described in this clinical trial is intended for use by clinical oncologists in carefully structured settings, and may not prove to be more effective than standard treatment. A responsible investigator associated with this clinical trial should be consulted before using this protocol.

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