Breast Cancer Clinical Trial
Capecitabine and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer After Surgery
Summary
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Capecitabine may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving radiation together with capecitabine after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells.
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving capecitabine together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer.
Full Description
OBJECTIVES:
Primary
To determine the safety and feasibility of concurrent capecitabine and standard external-beam irradiation in patients with high-risk early stage breast cancer.
Secondary
To determine the effects of concurrent treatment on cosmesis and wound healing at 1 year.
To determine the short-term (1-year) risk of recurrence of breast cancer in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
Patients undergo external-beam radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week and concurrently receive oral capecitabine twice daily, 5 days a week Monday through Friday, for approximately 6-7 weeks.
After completion of study therapy, patients are followed at approximately 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months.
Eligibility Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
Histologically or cytologically confirmed invasive adenocarcinoma of the breast, meeting 1 of the following high-risk criteria:
T3 or T4 primary tumor
4 or more involved axillary lymph nodes (N2 nodal stage)
Completed surgical excision
No immediate reconstruction with autologous flap reconstruction
Patients having tissue expanders or implants placed prior to radiation may be enrolled at the physician's discretion
No residual breast cancer
Microscopically positive margins are allowed if a re-excision is not felt to be clinically justified
Candidate for radiotherapy
Must not require bilateral radiotherapy
No metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer by AJCC staging criteria
Hormone receptor status not specified
No CNS disorders
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
Menopausal status not specified
Ambulatory
Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL
Platelet count > 100,000/mm³
ANC > 1,500/mm³
Serum AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
Total bilirubin normal
Creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min
Negative pregnancy test
Not pregnant or nursing
Fertile patients must use effective contraception during study and for 30 days after the last study drug administration
No serious, uncontrolled, concurrent infection(s)
No diabetes with current or history of delayed wound healing or skin ulcers
No autoimmune connective tissue disorder
No prior unanticipated severe reaction to fluoropyrimidine therapy, known sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil, or known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency
No other carcinomas within the last five years except cured non-melanoma skin cancer and in-situ cervical cancer
No clinically significant cardiac disease (e.g., congestive heart failure, symptomatic coronary artery disease, or cardiac arrhythmias not well controlled with medication) or myocardial infarction within the last 12 months
No other serious uncontrolled medical conditions that the investigator feels might compromise study participation, including any of the following:
Uncontrolled seizures
Psychiatric disability judged by the investigator to be clinically significant
Physically intact upper gastrointestinal tract
No malabsorption syndrome
No uncompensated coagulopathy
No patients whose breast size or body contour puts them at increased risk for skin desquamation from standard radiotherapy
Able to read and speak English
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Fully recovered from surgery and chemotherapy with completely healed surgical wounds
At least 4 weeks since completion of prior chemotherapy regimen, excluding trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
Concurrent trastuzumab allowed at the physician's discretion
More than 4 weeks since prior participation in any investigational drug study
At least 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent sorivudine or brivudine
More than 2 weeks since prior major surgery
No prior capecitabine
No prior radiotherapy to the chest or ipsilateral lymphatics
No concurrent hormonal therapy during course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
No concurrent allopurinol or cimetidine
Concurrent coumadin is allowed
Check Your Eligibility
Let’s see if you might be eligible for this study.
What is your age and gender ?
There is 1 Location for this study
Dallas Texas, 75390, United States
How clear is this clinincal trial information?

Please confirm you are a US based health care provider:
Yes, I am a health care Provider No, I am not a health care providerSign Up Now.
Take Control of Your Disease Journey.
Sign up now for expert patient guides, personalized treatment options, and cutting-edge insights that can help you push for the best care plan.