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Breast Cancer Regimens
Breast Cancer Regimens
The selection, dosing, and administration of anticancer agents and the management of associated toxicities are complex. Drug dose
modifications and schedule and initiation of supportive care interventions are often necessary because of expected toxicities and
because of individual patient variability, prior treatment, and comorbidities. Thus, the optimal delivery of anticancer agents requires a
healthcare delivery team experienced in the use of such agents and the management of associated toxicities in patients with cancer.
The cancer treatment regimens below may include both FDA-approved and unapproved uses/regimens and are provided as references
only to the latest treatment strategies. Clinicians must choose and verify treatment options based on the individual patient.
NOTE: GREY SHADED BOXES CONTAIN UPDATED REGIMENS.
General treatment note: All trastuzumab-containing regimens require cardiac monitoring at baseline
and at Months 3, 6, and 9.1
REGIMEN
DOSING
Dose-dense AC (doxorubicin +
cyclophosphamide)
followed by
dose dense paclitaxel +
concurrent trastuzumab 1,35
Docetaxel + concurrent
trastuzumab followed by
FEC (5-fluorouracil [5-FU] +
epirubicin [Ellence] +
cyclophosphamide)1,7
Cycles 14
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Paclitaxel 80mg/m2 IV once weekly for 12 weeks, plus
Day 1: Trastuzumab 4mg/kg IV loading dose, followed by
trastuzumab 2mg/kg IV once weekly (or trastuzumab 6mg/kg IV once every
3 weeks) to complete 1 year of treatment.
OR
Cycles 14
2
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Paclitaxel 175mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles, plus
Day 1: Trastuzumab 4mg/kg IV loading dose, followed by
trastuzumab 2mg/kg IV once weekly (or trastuzumab 6mg/kg IV once every
3 weeks) to complete 1 year of treatment.
Cycles 14
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 2 weeks for 4 cycles.
Day 2: Pegfilgrastim 6mg SC approximately 24 hrs after chemotherapy, OR
Days 310: Filgrastim 5mcg/kg (total 300mcg or 480mcg) after chemotherapy.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Paclitaxel 175mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 2 weeks for 4 cycles, plus
Day 1: Trastuzumab 4mg/kg IV loading dose, followed by
trastuzumab 2mg/kg IV once weekly until completion of paclitaxel.
Then administer trastuzumab 6mg/kg IV once every 3 weeks to complete
1 year of treatment.
Day 2: Pegfilgrastim 6mg SC approximately 24 hrs after paclitaxel, OR
Days 310: Filgrastim 5mcg/kg (total 300mcg or 480mcg) after paclitaxel.
Day 1: Docetaxel 75mg/m2 IV, followed by carboplatin AUC 6.
Repeat every 3 weeks for 6 cycles.
Subsequent cycles
Trastuzumab 4mg/kg week 1, followed by trastuzumab 2mg/kg for 17 weeks,
followed by trastuzumab 6mg/kg every 3 weeks to complete 1 year of
trastuzumab therapy.
Weeks 18
Day 1: Docetaxel 100mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 3 cycles, plus
Day 1: Trastuzumab 4mg/kg IV loading dose, followed by
trastuzumab 2mg/kg IV once weekly for 8 weeks.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: 5-FU 600mg/m2 IV + epirubicin 60mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide
600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 3 cycles.
continued
DOSING
AC (doxorubicin +
cyclophosphamide)1,10
AC (doxorubicin +
cyclophosphamide) followed by
paclitaxel1,11
Dose-dense AC (doxorubicin +
cyclophosphamide) followed by
dose dense paclitaxel 1,4,5
TC (docetaxel +
cyclophosphamide) 1,12
Tamoxifen 2040mg orally daily for no longer than 5 years (doses higher than
20mg should be divided into 2 doses, AM and PM).
Day 1: Doxorubicin 50mg/m2 IV, followed by cyclophosphamide 500mg/m2 IV,
followed by docetaxel 75mg/m2 IV after a 1-hr interval, plus
Day 2: Pegfilgrastim 6mg SC approximately 24 hrs after chemotherapy, OR
Days 411: Filgrastim 5mcg/kg after chemotherapy.
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m2.
Day 1: Cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2.
Repeat every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Cycles 14
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Paclitaxel 80mg/m2 IV once weekly for 12 weeks.
Cycles 14
Day 1: Doxorubicin 60mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 2 weeks.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Paclitaxel 175mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 2 weeks for 4 cycles.
All cycles
Day 2: Pegfilgrastim 6mg SC approximately 24 hrs after chemotherapy, OR
Days 310: Filgrastim 5mcg/kg (total 300mcg or 480mcg) after chemotherapy.
Day 1: Docetaxel 75mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 IV.
Growth factor support recommended with this regimen.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Neoadjuvant Therapy
Trastuzumab + paclitaxel + FEC
(5-FU + epirubicin +
cyclophosphamide) 1,13
Cycles 14
Day 1: Trastuzumab 4mg/kg IV for one dose (for first dose, administer 1 day
before paclitaxel to monitor for infusion reactions), followed by
trastuzumab 2mg/kg once weekly for 24 weeks total, plus
Day 1: Paclitaxel 225mg/m2 continuous IV infusion over 24 hrs.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
Subsequent cycles
Day 1: Epirubicin 75mg/m2 IV + cyclophosphamide 500mg/m2 IV, plus
Days 1 and 3: 5-FU 500mg/m2 IV.
Repeat cycle every 3 weeks for 4 cycles.
DOSING
GT (paclitaxel + gemcitabine
[Gemzar]) 1,22
Docetaxel1,2931
Gemcitabine1,32
Eribulin1,33
Vinorelbine1,34
Pegylated liposomal
encapsulated doxorubicin
(PLD; Doxil) 1,35
Albumin-bound paclitaxel
(Abraxane) 1,36,37
Capecitabine 1,38
DOSING
References
1. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. Breast Cancer.
v 2.2012. Available at: http://www.nccn.org/professionals/
physician_gls/pdf/breast.pdf. Accessed July 13, 2012.
2. Romond EH, Perez EA, Bryant J, et al. Trastuzumab plus
adjuvant chemotherapy for operable HER2-positive breast
cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:16731684.
3. Dang C, Fornier M, Sugarman S, et al. The safety of dose-dense
doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel with
trastuzumab in HER-2/neu overexpressed/amplified breast
cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26:12161222.
4. Burstein HJ, Parker LM, Keshaviah A, et al. Efficacy of Pegfilgrastim and Darbepoetin Alfa As Hematopoietic Support for
Dose-Dense Every-2-Week Adjuvant Breast Cancer Chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:83408347.
5. Citron ML, Berry DA, Cirrincione C, et al. Randomized trial of
dose-dense versus conventionally scheduled and sequential