Biomedical subjects

Pierre Fumoleau

Publications and source records attributed to Pierre Fumoleau.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Inflammatory breast cancer outcome with epirubicin-based induction and maintenance chemotherapy: ten-year results from the French Adjuvant Study Group GETIS 02 Trial.

BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the long-term efficacy and side effects in patients with nonmetastatic, unilateral, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) who received homogeneous treatment with intensive induction chemotherapy followed by a maintenance regimen. METHODS: One hundred twenty patients were randomized to receive high-dose fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC-HD) (fluorouracil 750 mg/m(2) on Days 1 to 4, epirubicin 35 mg/m(2) on Days 2 to 4, and cyclophosphamide 400 mg/m(2) on Days 2 to 4 for 4 cycles every 21 days) with or without lenograstim. Locoregional treatment consisted of surgery and/or radiotherapy. Maintenance chemotherapy was FEC 75 (fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 75 mg/m(2), and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2) on Day 1 every 21 days for 4 cycles). No hormone treatment was allowed. RESULTS: The safety of the FEC-HD regimen was described previously. Among 102 patients who underwent surgery, a pathologic complete response (pCR) was achieved by 23.5% of patients with breast tumors and by 31.4% of patients with involved axillary lymph nodes. The overall pCR rate was 14.7%. One hundred nine patients received FEC 75. After a median 10 years of follow-up, the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 35.7% and 41.2%, respectively. The median DFS was 39 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 25-53 months), and the median survival was 61 months (95% CI, 43-79 months). Five patients developed a temporary decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction without congestive heart failure. In the lenograstim group, 1 patient developed acute myeloblastic leukemia M2, and 1 patient developed myelodysplastic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: FEC-HD induction chemotherapy followed by FEC 75 maintenance regimen had moderate and acute long-term toxicities and lead to high DFS and OS rates in patients with IBC.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed2006

Sequential adjuvant epirubicin-based and docetaxel chemotherapy for node-positive breast cancer patients: the FNCLCC PACS 01 Trial.

PURPOSE: The PACS 01 trial compared six cycles of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) with a sequential regimen of three cycles of FEC followed by three cycles of docetaxel (FEC-D) as adjuvant treatment for women with node-positive early breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 1997 and March 2000, 1,999 patients with operable node-positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to either FEC every 21 days for six cycles, or three cycles of FEC followed by three cycles of docetaxel, both given every 21 days. Hormone-receptor-positive patients received tamoxifen for 5 years after chemotherapy. The primary end point was 5-year disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Median follow-up was 60 months. Five-year DFS rates were 73.2% with FEC and 78.4% with FEC-D (unadjusted P = .011; adjusted P = .012). Multivariate analysis adjusted for prognostic factors showed an 18% reduction in the relative risk of relapse with FEC-D. Five-year overall survival rates were 86.7% with FEC and 90.7% with FEC-D, demonstrating a 27% reduction in the relative risk of death (unadjusted P = .014; adjusted P = .017). The incidence of grade 3 to 4 neutropenia, the need for hematopoietic growth factor, and incidence of nausea/vomiting were higher with FEC. Docetaxel was associated with more febrile neutropenia in the fourth cycle, stomatitis, edema, and nail disorders. Though rare overall, there were fewer cardiac events after FEC-D (P = .03), attributable mainly to the lower anthracycline cumulative dose. CONCLUSION: Sequential adjuvant chemotherapy with FEC followed by docetaxel significantly improves disease-free and overall survival in node-positive breast cancer patients and has a favorable safety profile.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Using the continual reassessment method: lessons learned from an EORTC phase I dose finding study.

Many clinicians often do not feel comfortable with the Continual Reassessment Method (CRM). This article reviews its implementation, showing the characteristics, advantages and limitations of this method in Phase I studies as an alternative to the classical 'Fibonacci' escalation schema. A two center, dose escalation phase I study of rViscumin was carried out. Thirty-seven patients were included at 14 different dose-levels (10 to 6400 ng/kg). The complete clinical results are presented elsewhere. A 2-step CRM design enables one to speed-up the study and most importantly to obtain an accurate estimate of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Different management issues related to a multicenter study are illustrated and we show how the method can go wrong when severe toxicity, or dose limiting toxicity (DLT), is not considered by the clinician as being sufficient to limit dose escalation (here a grade 3 asthenia related to the drug). This would have affected any dose finding methods. We believe that CRM is a good alternative to the standard method from both a statistical and a practical point of view but further methodological research is necessary to address the issues related to the composite nature of the endpoint.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Phase I study of vinflunine administered as a 10-minute infusion on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks.

Vinflunine is a novel vinca alkaloid developed through the selective modification of vinorelbine using super-acidic chemistry. In preclinical testing, vinflunine demonstrated significantly enhanced anti-tumour activity in human tumour xenograft models when compared to its parent compound. A phase I study was conducted to evaluate the safety and toxicity of vinflunine administered as a 10 minute intravenous infusion on days 1 and 8 every three weeks. Sixteen patients with advanced solid tumours were treated. Two of four patients experienced dose limiting toxicities (DLT) at 190 mg/m2 and this was established as the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). At the MTD, the DLT of vinflunine consisted of constipation and neutropenia. Fatigue was notable but not dose limiting. No objective responses were observed. A dose of 170 mg/m2 given on a day 1 and 8 schedule every three weeks would be suitable for future studies.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Gemcitabine and epirubicin in patients with metastatic breast cancer: a phase I/II study.

Gemcitabine and epirubicin were evaluated in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), efficacy, and toxicity of the combination. Patients initially received 800 mg/m(2) of gemcitabine (days 1 and 8) and 50 mg/m(2) of epirubicin (day 1) every 21 days. Each dose level had three to eight patients. Phase II used the dose level preceding the MTD. Forty-eight patients enrolled without reaching MTD; therefore, phase II used the highest dose level (1500 mg/m(2) of gemcitabine, 90 mg/m(2) of epirubicin). After 23 patients (group A) experienced hematologic toxicities and frequent dose reductions, 15 received 1250 mg/m(2) gemcitabine (days 1 and 4) and 90 mg/m(2) epirubicin (day 1) every 21 days (group B). Out of 38 patients, 46% responded (group A 32%, group B 67%). Median response duration was 8.5 months; median time to progression 8.4 months; and median time to treatment failure 4.8 months. Gemcitabine and epirubicin are well tolerated and active in MBC patients, and the group B regimen warrants further investigation.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Feasibility of using intraperitoneal epinephrine and cisplatin in patients with advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Intraperitoneal epinephrine above 1 mg/l concentration has been shown to enhance the intratumoral accumulation and antitumor activity of intraperitoneal cisplatin in rats with advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis. The aim of this study was to determine the tolerance of intraperitoneal epinephrine combined with intraperitoneal cisplatin in patients with advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis (17 ovarian cancers, one peritoneal mesothelioma). Intraperitoneal epinephrine (1-5 mg/l) and cisplatin (50 mg/l; 100 mg total dose) were infused in 2 l of saline solution over 2 h. The maximal tolerated concentration of intraperitoneal epinephrine was not reached at 5 mg/l. Cardiovascular symptoms were infrequent and not strictly related to the epinephrine concentration. Tumor responses were obtained in some patients with disease resistant to intravenous platinum compounds. This work demonstrates for the first time that intraperitoneal epinephrine at sufficient concentration enhances the cisplatin effect and can be safely infused into the peritoneal cavity of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. The greatest limitation was abdominal pain and limited intraperitoneal distribution of the peritoneal fluid in this closed-abdomen procedure.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Pharmacokinetics of tipifarnib after oral and intravenous administration in subjects with advanced cancer.

The primary objective of this study was to identify intravenous regimens of tipifarnib that would mimic the systemic exposure obtained after the current twice-daily oral administration of tipifarnib. After determination of an intravenous dose that 6 subjects with advanced cancer could tolerate, another 26 subjects were randomly assigned to receive 3 consecutive 4-day regimens of tipifarnib with different treatment sequences: a 100-mg 2-hour intravenous infusion, 200-mg oral administration twice daily, and a 200-mg/d continuous intravenous infusion. The systemic exposure to tipifarnib was comparable among these 3 regimens. The plasma concentration-time profile of 2-hour intravenous infusion more closely resembled the oral administration than did the continuous infusion. Glucuronidation is a metabolic pathway for tipifarnib with concentrations of the glucuronide conjugate greatly exceeding the parent compound after oral and intravenous administration. Analysis of plasma metabolites indicated that tipifarnib also undergoes dealkylation and loss of the imidazole group.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2006

Epirubicin-based chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment for poor prognosis, node-negative breast cancer: 10-year follow-up results of the French Adjuvant Study Group 03 trial.

We evaluated the contribution of an epirubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy on disease-free survival (DFS) in poor prognosis, node-negative breast cancer (BC) patients. Poor prognostic factors were defined as: pathologic tumor size >or= 4 cm, estrogen-receptor negative, and progesterone-receptor negative. Scarff-Bloom Richardson grade 2 tumors must have two of these factors, and only one in case of grade 3. Between 1988 and 1994, 328 patients were randomized to receive either no systemic treatment (control, n = 161), or fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 50 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2), 6 cycles every 21 days (FEC50, n = 167), without any hormonal treatment. The median follow up was 114 months. The 10-year DFS rates were 64 and 71%, respectively (p = 0.23). In the Cox regression model, independent prognostic factors of relapse were the number of nodes examined < 10 (p = 0.002), BCS (p = 0.01), and premenopausal status (p = 0.04). In this model, the relative risk of relapse was 1.46 (CI95 %: 1.05-1.87) in favor of FEC50. In patients who underwent BCS, 21 % developed a local relapse (24 versus 18 %, respectively). The 10-year local DFS was 70.5 and 79.3 %, respectively (p = 0.27). The 10-year overall survival was not different (74.1 versus 70.7 %, p = 0.82). After 10 years of follow-up, the FEC50 regimen reduced the risk of relapse in poor-prognosis node-negative BC patients. The incidence of local relapse was high, and probably related to inclusion criteria. Epirubicin was probably underdosed in such patients, and ongoing studies using 100 mg/m(2) of epirubicin will give us the answer in a near future.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Appropriate cytotoxic drug usages in solid tumors: conformity to official labelling and level of scientific evidence].

The definition of appropriate use of drugs is questioned in oncology. Daily therapeutic practices were compared to official labelling and to published scientific data in this retrospective study. It was carried out in two respective specialised centers, from January to September 2004. All chemotherapies administered for adult solid tumours and including one of the eleven studied drugs were evaluated. The analysis of use was performed by drug : conformity to the validated labelling and level of scientific evidence (at the period study). The study included 1,561 drug uses in 1,211 patients. The overall rate of conformity to official labelling was 81.7 % (67.1 % of strict conformity). In 73.8 % of cases, the indications were supported by at least one randomized phase III trial. The results appeared to be significantly different in rare tumours. The potential economic stake of the "contrat de bon usage" was estimated as less than 5 % in our study. This analysis showed an appropriate and controlled use of onerous drugs in solid tumours. The official labelling of drugs are unable to answer to all clinical situations. The definition of a sufficient level of evidence is mandatory for the use of scientific data in clinical practice. This process has to be adapted for rare tumours.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Phase I combining a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, MS209, in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced malignancies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and tolerability of MS209, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, when given in combination with docetaxel and to determine whether MS209 affects docetaxel pharmacokinetics. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with advanced solid malignancies were eligible for this phase I trial. Docetaxel as 1-hour infusion was given alone during the first cycle. MS209 was introduced as of cycle 2 and given orally 30 minutes after docetaxel infusion. The dose escalation scheme followed a modified Fibonacci model with six steps (docetaxel, 60-100 mg/m2 and MS209, 300-1,200 mg per body). RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were treated at five dose levels. Dose-limiting toxicities were febrile neutropenia, infection, stomatitis, dysphagia, and fatigue. The maximum tolerated dose was reached at level 5 (docetaxel, 80-MS: 1,200). Pharmacokinetic analysis failed to show a strong pharmacokinetic interaction between the two compounds, but at the highest dose levels, there is a trend to an increase of docetaxel AUC when this agent is given in combination with MS209. CONCLUSION: MS209 can be given in combination with docetaxel, with limited effect on docetaxel toxicity or pharmacokinetics.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

PubMed2005

Identification of molecular apocrine breast tumours by microarray analysis.

Previous microarray studies on breast cancer identified multiple tumour classes, of which the most prominent, named luminal and basal, differ in expression of the oestrogen receptor alpha gene (ER). We report here the identification of a group of breast tumours with increased androgen signalling and a 'molecular apocrine' gene expression profile. Tumour samples from 49 patients with large operable or locally advanced breast cancers were tested on Affymetrix U133A gene expression microarrays. Principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering split the tumours into three groups: basal, luminal and a group we call molecular apocrine. All of the molecular apocrine tumours have strong apocrine features on histological examination (P=0.0002). The molecular apocrine group is androgen receptor (AR) positive and contains all of the ER-negative tumours outside the basal group. Kolmogorov-Smirnov testing indicates that oestrogen signalling is most active in the luminal group, and androgen signalling is most active in the molecular apocrine group. ERBB2 amplification is commoner in the molecular apocrine than the other groups. Genes that best split the three groups were identified by Wilcoxon test. Correlation of the average expression profile of these genes in our data with the expression profile of individual tumours in four published breast cancer studies suggest that molecular apocrine tumours represent 8-14% of tumours in these studies. Our data show that it is possible with microarray data to divide mammary tumour cells into three groups based on steroid receptor activity: luminal (ER+ AR+), basal (ER- AR-) and molecular apocrine (ER- AR+).

Apocrine Glands↗

PubMed2005

Adaptation and performance of an immuno-PCR assay for the quantification of Aviscumine in patient plasma samples.

An immuno-polymerase chain reaction (IPCR) assay is used to evaluate the kinetic behaviour of the novel anti-cancer drug Aviscumine in plasma samples taken from 41 patients during a 3-year clinical trial. The ultrasensitive IPCR assay employed the amplification of a detection-antibody linked marker-DNA and an internal competitor DNA for standardization, thus enabling the detection of the antigen in concentrations far below the detection limit of conventional enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). The quantification of Aviscumine was carried out using external calibration curves obtained from individual patient plasma samples, collected previous to the administration of Aviscumine, which were spiked with known amounts of the reference substance Aviscumine. Additional controls were measured containing standardized human serum spiked with Aviscumine to assure the continuous general reproducibility of the assay as well as to estimate differences between individual patients. Average recovery was found to be 95+/-19% and the average deviation in precision of the assay was determined to be 9+/-5%. Data for the quantification of Aviscumine were obtained from all patient samples investigated with the exception of a single patient. The collected data provided the basis for the valid routine quantification of patient samples for the calculation of the pharmacokinetic behaviour of Aviscumine in patient plasma.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Risk of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in trials of adjuvant epirubicin for early breast cancer: correlation with doses of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide.

PURPOSE: We reviewed follow-up of patients treated in 19 randomized trials of adjuvant epirubicin in early breast cancer to determine incidence, risk, and risk factors for subsequent acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients (N = 9,796) were observed from the start of adjuvant treatment (53,080 patient-years). Cases of AML or MDS (AML/MDS) were reported, with disease characteristics. Incidence and cumulative risk were compared for possible risk factors, for assigned regimens, and for administered cumulative doses of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. RESULTS: In 7,110 patients treated with epirubicin-containing regimens (92% of whom also received cyclophosphamide), 8-year cumulative probability of AML/MDS was 0.55% (95% CI, 0.33% to 0.78%). The risk of developing AML/MDS increased in relation to planned epirubicin dose per cycle, planned epirubicin dose-intensity, and administered cumulative doses of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. Patients with administered cumulative doses of both epirubicin and cyclophosphamide not exceeding those used in standard regimens (</= 720 mg/m(2) and </= 6,300 mg/m(2), respectively) had an 8-year cumulative probability of developing AML/MDS of 0.37% (95% CI, 0.13% to 0.61%) compared with 4.97% (95% CI, 2.06% to 7.87%) for patients administered higher cumulative doses of both epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with standard cumulative doses of adjuvant epirubicin (</= 720 mg/m(2)) and cyclophosphamide (</= 6,300 mg/m(2)) for early breast cancer have a lower probability of secondary leukemia than patients treated with higher cumulative doses. Increased risk of secondary leukemia must be considered when assessing the potential benefit to risk ratio of higher than standard doses.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Epirubicin increases long-term survival in adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with poor-prognosis, node-positive, early breast cancer: 10-year follow-up results of the French Adjuvant Study Group 05 randomized trial.

PURPOSE: The French Adjuvant Study Group 05 (FASG-05) showed that fluorouracil 500 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2, and epirubicin 100 mg/m2 (FEC 100) was superior to the same regimen with epirubicin 50 mg/m2 (FEC 50) in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. We report 10-year data on efficacy, and long-term side effects for FASG-05. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We randomly assigned 565 patients to treatment with FEC 50 or FEC 100 after surgery. Postmenopausal patients also received tamoxifen for 3 years, and almost all patients (96%) also received radiotherapy. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 110 months. The 10-year DFS was 45.3% (95% CI, 41.9% to 48.7%) with FEC 50 and 50.7% (95% CI, 47.3% to 54.1%) with FEC 100 (Wilcoxon P = .036; log-rank P = .08). The 10-year OS was 50.0% (95% CI, 46.7% to 53.3%) with FEC 50 and 54.8% (95% CI, 51.3% to 58.3%) with FEC 100 (Wilcoxon P = .038; log-rank P = .05). Delayed cardiac toxicity (before relapse) occurred in four patients (1.5%) in the FEC 50 arm and three patients (1.1%) in the FEC 100 arm. Cardiac toxicity after relapse occurred in six (4.3%) and five (4.1%) patients treated with FEC 50 and FEC 100, respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment with adjuvant FEC 100 demonstrated superior DFS and OS versus FEC 50 at 10 years of follow-up. This survival advantage was not offset by long-term complications such as cardiac toxicity and second malignancy. Given the risk-benefit ratio, FEC 100 is a more optimal regimen for long-term survival in patients with poor prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Semi-physiological model describing the hematological toxicity of the anti-cancer agent indisulam.

Indisulam (N-(3-chloro-7-indolyl)-1,4-benzenedisulfonamide, GOAL, E7070) is a novel anti-cancer drug currently in phase II clinical development for the treatment of solid tumors. Phase I dose-escalation studies were conducted comparing four treatment schedules. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were dose limiting in all schedules. The aim of this study was to describe the extent and the time course of the hematological toxicity and its possible schedule dependency using a semi-physiological model. Data from 142 patients were analyzed using NONMEM. The semi-physiological model comprised a progenitor blood cell compartment, linked to the central circulation compartment, through 3 transition compartments representing the maturation chain in the bone marrow. Plasma concentrations of the drug were assumed to reduce the proliferation rate in the progenitor compartment according to a linear function. A feedback mechanism was included in the model representing the rebound effect of endogenous growth factors. The model was validated using a posterior predictive check. The model adequately described the extent and time course of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. The mean transition time (MTT, i.e. maturation time in bone marrow) of neutrophils was increased by 47% in patients who received indisulam as a weekly dose administered for four out of every six weeks. For platelets, MTT was increased by 33% in patients who received this schedule and also in patients who received a continuous 120-h infusion. The validation procedure indicated that the model adequately predicts the nadir value of neutrophils and platelets and the time to reach this nadir. A semi-physiological model was successfully applied to describe the time course and extent of the neutropenia and thrombocytopenia after indisulam administration for four treatment schedules.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Taxanes in adjuvant breast cancer setting: which standard in Europe?

The clinical studies of cooperators groups (trials CALGB 9344, NSABP-B-28, BCIRG 001, PACS01 and CALGB 9741) demonstrated, in the adjuvant breast cancer setting, that taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) improved both disease free and overall survival (trials CALGB 9344, BCIRG 001 and PACS 01). However, the debate remains open in Europe. Less than 50% of the expert present at the last St. Gallen Conference recommended the use of taxanes in adjuvant setting. The reasons for this are primarily related to the fact that the comparator arms of cooperators group (AC, FAC and FEC 100) are considered by some Europe groups as being less effective than the European standards (chemotherapy (CMF) and Epirubicine-CMF). Many questions remain unanswered, including whether the use of taxanes should be sequential or concomitant, and which population would benefit from such a treatment: patients with hormone-receptor negative disease and/or the HER-2 positive tumors?

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Phase I study and pharmacokinetic of CHS-828, a guanidino-containing compound, administered orally as a single dose every 3 weeks in solid tumours: an ECSG/EORTC study.

CHS 828 is a new guanidino-containing drug. The aim of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), the recommended dose and the toxicity of CHS 828. CHS 828 was given orally once every 3 weeks. The starting dose was 50 mg, which was escalated to 500 mg. A total of 107 courses was administered to 37 patients. At the 500-mg dose level, two of three patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) (grade 3 mucositis and grade 4 thrombocytopenia), establishing this as the MTD. One of seven patients treated at 420 mg dose experienced DLT (grade 4 leucopenia, grade 4 mucositis and grade 4 diarrhoea), and this was considered the recommended dose for phase II studies. Vomiting, haematuria, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were other significant toxicities. The pharmacokinetics of CHS 828 showed large variations both between and within patients. No objective responses were seen. A dose of 420 mg of CHS 828 administered every 3 weeks is the recommended dose, while 500 mg is the MTD.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2004

Randomized parallel study of doxorubicin plus paclitaxel and doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide as neoadjuvant treatment of patients with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized, noncomparative, parallel-group study was designed to evaluate the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of combined doxorubicin plus paclitaxel (AP) and doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (AC) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated breast cancer who were unsuitable for conservative surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 200 patients with T2-3, N0-1, M0 disease were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive preoperative chemotherapy with either doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2) plus paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2) as a 3-hour infusion (AP) or doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2) plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) (AC) every 3 weeks for 4 courses followed by surgery. RESULTS: A pCR (eradication of invasive carcinoma in tumor and in axillary lymph nodes) was found in 16% and 10% of patients in the AP and AC arms, respectively, by study center pathologists, and in 8% and 6% of patients, respectively, by independent pathologists. Patients with pCRs tended to have unifocal disease, tumors with negative hormonal receptor status, and less differentiation (Scarff, Bloom, and Richardson scale grade 3). Breast-conserving surgery was performed in 58% and 45% of patients in the AP and AC arms, respectively. An objective clinical response was achieved in 89% of patients in the AP arm and 70% in the AC arm. At a median follow-up of 31 months, disease-free survival (DFS) was higher in patients who reached pCR versus those without pCR (91% v 70%). CONCLUSION: The encouraging pathologic and clinical responses of patients with breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin plus paclitaxel warrant additional investigation of paclitaxel in the neoadjuvant setting of breast cancer management.

Adenocarcinoma↗