Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

The document from December 2003 reviews the efficacy and safety of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in the treatment of breast cancer. PLD was found to be a viable alternative to conventional doxorubicin, with similar efficacy and a better safety profile, including reduced cardiac toxicity, myelosuppression, alopecia, nausea, and vomiting. Clinical trials, including a phase II study with 45 patients and a phase III study with 509 patients, showed PLD to have comparable effectiveness to conventional doxorubicin and standard salvage chemotherapy, with response rates ranging from 27% to 83% and median survival between 7 and 20 months. PLD also demonstrated potential in combination with other agents like cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, docetaxel, and gemcitabine, with common toxicities being neutropenia, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and stomatitis. The document concludes that PLD is effective for treating metastatic breast cancer and has a favorable safety profile, making it a useful treatment option.