Platinum-based Agent and Fluorouracil in Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Monocentric Study with a Review of the Literature

Background: The combination of platinum with 5-fluorouracil has scarcely been studied in metastatic breast cancer. As this combination does not lead to significant hepatic metabolism, in some clinical situations it may prove useful, especially in cases with liver dysfunction and an urgent clinical need for rapid tumor shrinkage. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in patients with metastatic breast cancer with significant alterations of biochemistry. Patients and Methods: A total of 109 patients with metastatic breast cancer and liver dysfunction were treated; time-to-progression, overall survival and trends in liver function were evaluated. Results: The median time-to-progression was 3.4 months, and median overall survival was 7.8 months. About 50% of patients obtained a complete, partial or stable biochemical response and 24 patients were subsequently able to receive additional therapies. Conclusion: Our results show that this therapeutic doublet represents a clinically effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment option for patients with metastatic breast cancer and liver dysfunction.