Treatment of advanced breast cancer with gemcitabine and vinorelbine.

Breast cancer is sensitive to several cytotoxic drugs. Combination cytotoxic regimens are associated with higher response rates and longer durations of response and, occasionally, survival, than are single-agent regimens. However, combination regimens of conventional agents have not changed the course of the disease. In the past decade, numerous newer cytotoxic agents have been developed. Gemcitabine (Gemzar) and vinorelbine (Navelbine) are two such newer agents that have demonstrated good antitumor activity and favorable toxicity profiles as single-agent therapy for advanced breast cancer. Because gemcitabine and vinorelbine have different mechanisms of antitumor activity and good therapeutic indices, they have been evaluated as a combination regimen for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Data from phase II clinical trials suggest that the combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine with or without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is effective first- or second-line therapy for advanced breast cancer and has a favorable safety profile. Further studies of the gemcitabine/vinorelbine combination regimen are warranted.