We report a case of coronary artery spasm induced by 5-fluorouracil. The symptoms occurred during continuous intravenous infusion of the drug, and a coronary spasm was visualized at angiography.

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BACKGROUND: This multicentre, international phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety profile of a first-line combination of oral vinorelbine plus capecitabine for women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). METHODS: Patients with measurable, HER2-negative disease received, as a first line in metastatic setting, 3-weekly cycles of oral vinorelbine 80 mg m À2 (after a first cycle at 60) on day 1 and day 8, plus capecitabine 1000 mg m À2 (750 if X65 years of age) twice daily, on days 1 -14. Treatment was continued until progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients were enrolled and 54 were treated (median age: 58.5 years). Most (78%) had visceral involvement and 63% had received earlier (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. The objective response rate (RECIST) in 49 evaluable patients was 51% (95% confidence interval (CI), 36 -66), including complete response in 4%. The clinical benefit rate (response or stable disease for X6 months) was 63% (95% CI, 48 -77). The median duration of response was 7.2 months (95% CI, 6.4 -10.2). After a median follow-up of 41 months, median progression-free survival was 8.4 months (95% CI, 5.8 -9.7) and median overall survival was 29.2 months (95% CI, 18.2 -40.1). Treatment-related adverse events were manageable, the main grade 3 -4 toxicity was neutropaenia (49%); two patients experienced febrile neutropaenia and three patients had a neutropaenic infection (including one septic death). A particularly low rate of alopaecia was observed. CONCLUSION: These results show that the all-oral combination of oral vinorelbine and capecitabine is an effective and well-tolerated first-line regimen for MBC.

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SummaryThe authors updated their report on a randomized trial initiated in 1982 comparing, in early breast cancer, high-dose IM Medroxyprogesterone acetate (HD-MPA) adjuvant hormonotherapy during 6 months with no hormonotherapy; node-positive patients also received 6 courses of IV CMF (day 1, day 8; q.4 weeks). 246 node-negative (NN) and 270 node-positive (NP) patients had been followed for a median duration of 13 years. Previous results were confirmed in this analysis on mature data. In NN patients, relapse-free survival (RFS) was improved in the adjuvant hormonotherapy arm, regardless of age while overall survival (OAS) was also increased in younger (less then 50 years) patients. In the whole group of NP patients, no difference was seen regarding RFS or OAS. However, an age-dependant opposite effect was observed: younger patients (< 50) experienced a worse and significant outcome of relapse-free and overall survivals when receiving adjuvant HD-MPA while older patients (> = 50) enjoyed a significant improvement of their relapse-free survival. For both NN and NP patients, differences in overall survivals observed in older women with a shorter follow-up, were no longer detected.