Eribulin as 1st Line Treatment in Elderly Patients With Advanced Breast Cancer

Due to a rising number of elderly patients, fit for chemotherapy, investigating a well-tolerated and effective first line treatment is warranted. In this specific population often there are contra-indications for the use of standard first line drugs like anthracyclines and taxanes due to comorbidities (e.g. cardiac impairment or Peripheral neuropathy). Response rates in first line treatment with taxanes and anthracyclines usually do not exceed 30%. Eribulin has shown a response rate of 29% and a clinical benefit rate (corresponding to the investigators primary endpoint) of 52% in first line, so the investigators expect similar efficacy, but less toxicity. Optimal dose, schedule and tolerability of this drug in the first line setting are unknown in the elderly population. No information on dose modifications in this population is available. Based on the data of eribulin in the first line with higher efficacy in those patients with dose reductions, the SAKK 25/14 trial investigates the reduced starting-dose of eribulin of 1.1mg/m2 for this vulnerable population of elderly patients. Growth factors to maintain a certain dose level of eribulin are not recommended, respecting the international guidelines. SAKK has a tradition in conducting trials in the elderly population, such as SAKK 25/99 in metastatic breast cancer, SAKK 38/08 in aggressive B-cell-Lymphoma, SAKK 41/10 in metastatic colorectal cancer.