Mitomycin‐C and megestrol acetate in treatment of breast cancer refractory to hormonal and combination chemotherapy

Fifty patients with breast cancer refractory to endocrine manipulation and/or combination chemotherapy were treated with mitomycin‐C 20 mg/m² I.V. every 4–6 weeks and megestrol acetate 160 mg daily. Of 48 evaluable patients, 4% achieved complete remission (CR), 23% had partial remission (PR). Median duration of response for CR and PR was 7 months. Non‐responders had a median survival of 2 months. The difference in survival of responders (both CR and PR) and non‐responders was statistically significant at p<0.01 level. Attenuated doses of mitomycin‐C were administered at increasing intervals due to cumulative myelosuppressive toxicity.