In:
Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Vol. 14, No. 1 ( 1996-01), p. 35-45
Abstract:
To determine whether a combination chemotherapy regimen that contains epirubicin (fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide [FEC]) is superior to the standard cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) combination in premenopausal women with axillary node-positive operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS The International Collaborative Cancer Group (ICCG) conducted a large randomized trial in which two alternative schedules were used according to participating center: CMF1 versus FEC1 and CMF2 versus FEC2. RESULTS Seven hundred fifty-nine patients were entered onto the trial. At a median follow-up time of 4.5 years, no significant benefit for the anthracycline-containing regimen was observed in terms of relapse-free (P = .61) or overall survival (P = .13). FEC1 and CMF1 appear to be of similar efficacy, but there is a suggestion that FEC2 may be superior to CMF2, since patients who received FEC2 had improved overall (P = .02) and relapse-free survival (P = .03) rates. Nausea and vomiting and alopecia were more common in the epirubicin-containing regimen (P = .001). CONCLUSION We conclude that the FEC2 regimen, in which epirubicin replaced the methotrexate in CMF, is the preferable adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for premenopausal patients with operable axillary node-positive breast cancer.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0732-183X
,
1527-7755
DOI:
10.1200/JCO.1996.14.1.35
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Publication Date:
1996
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2005181-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
604914-X