Comparison of short-term efficacy of capecitabine plus carboplatin versus gemcitabine plus carboplatin for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer

Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and adverse drug reaction of capecitabine plus carboplatin versus gemcitabine plus carboplatin for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods Forty-three TNBC patients who were confirmed by pathology and immunohistochemistry in our hospital from April 2011 to December 2014 were randomly divided into observation group (capecitabine plus carboplatin, n=21) and control group (gemcitabine plus carboplatin, n=22).Patients had undergone chemotherapy for more than 2 cycles.The short-term efficacy and adverse reaction were evaluated and compared between two groups. Results There was no significant difference in the response rate (RR) and disease control rate (DCR) between two groups (61.9% vs 59.1%, 66.7% vs 68.2%, P> 0.05).The incidence of hand-foot syndrome in observation group was significantly higher than control group, but the myelosuppression rate was lower (P< 0.05). Conclusion The effects of capecitabine combined with carboplatin or gemcitabine plus carboplatin on patients with advanced TNBC are equivalent, while capecitabine combined with carboplatin is more fit for advanced TNBC patients with less adverse drug reaction and more convenience in drug administration.