A durable response to cytarabine in advanced breast cancer.

Cytarabine is a useful agent in the management of acute leukaemias, but is not thought to have activity in solid tumours. We describe the case history of a woman with advanced breast cancer, presenting with superior vena cava obstruction occurring after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, who had a durable remission following inadvertent dosing with cytarabine. A review of the literature reveals that this is the first documented case of a meaningful response to cytarabine in metastatic breast cancer.