Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine for Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases; a Preferential Option for Triple Negative Patients?

Background: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of Cisplatin plus Gemcitabine combination in patientswith brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer (BC). Materials and
Methods: Eighteen BC patients with BMwho were treated with Cisplatin plus Gemcitabine regimen between 2003-2011 were evaluated.
Results: A medianof 6 cycles of this regimen were received, in fifteen patients (83.3%) as first-line chemotherapy, in 2 as secondlineand in 1 as third-line after diagnosis of BM. Dose reduction was performed in 11 (61.1%) patients; majorreasons were neutropenia and leukopenia. Grade III neutropenia and Grade II trombocytopenia rates were33.3% and 16.7% respectively. Overall response rate (ORR; complete+partial response rate) was 33.4% (n=6)for the entire study population; triple negative patients achieved an 66.6% ORR while hormone receptor (HR)positive patients had 25% and HER2 positive patients 12.5%. Median progression-free survival was 5.6 months(2.4-8.8 months, 95%CI) and longer in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) (median 7.4 months,95%CI, 2.4-12.3 months) than the patients with other subtypes (median 5 months for HER2 positive and 3.6months for HR positive patients). Median PFS of the patients with TNBC who received this regimen as first-linewas 9.2 months (5.2-13.2 months, 95%CI).
Conclusions: Cisplatin plus Gemcitabine may be a treatment optionfor patients with BM from breast cancer. Longer PFS and higher response rates are results that support theusage of this regimen especially for the triple negative subtype. However, further prospective and randomizedtrials are clearly required to provide more exact information.