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Operable breast cancer: a review of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in operable breast carcinoma (Ia-IIb) may influence the disease development reducing recurrence rate. A survey was conducted from 1975 to 1989 in an attempt to evaluate if pre- and peri-operative chemotherapy is able to improve the survival rate. However, available literature shows that only some Authors observed an increased disease free-survival rate among N- patients.

Breast Neoplasms

Impact of spatial distribution of M2 macrophages on prognosis and neoadjuvant chemotherapy resistance in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a crucial treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer; however, approximately 30-40% of patients experience primary resistance, the mechanisms of which urgently require elucidation. The tumor microenvironment exhibits a high degree of spatial heterogeneity. M2 macrophages, as critical immune cells within this environment, are typically associated with poor prognosis. Yet, whether their spatial distribution impacts chemotherapy efficacy remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the in situ spatial distribution characteristics of M2 macrophages and chemoresistance in gastric cancer. METHODS: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Stomach Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-STAD) cohort, the association between M2 markers (CD163, MRC1) and histological grade as well as overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Spearman correlation and functional enrichment analyses were conducted to explore the mechanistic link between M2 macrophages and stromal barrier construction. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) and digital pathology image analysis were utilized to calculate the areal density of M2 macrophages in the intratumoral core and the peritumoral stroma, respectively. The tumor-to-peritumoral ratio (TPR) was constructed, followed by a rank correlation analysis between TPR and the tumor regression grade (TRG). RESULTS: TCGA-STAD results confirmed that patients with high expression of M2 markers had worse OS (P=0.03), and the expression levels of M2 markers increased with histological grade. MRC1 was highly significantly and positively correlated with the pro-fibrotic factor TGFB1 (rho=0.447, P<0.001), with the gene set significantly enriched in pathways such as positive regulation of cytokine production and myeloid leukocyte activation. Histological examination revealed that in chemoresistant patients (TRG 3), M2 macrophages were primarily retained in the peritumoral stroma, with a median TPR of 0.50; in chemosensitive patients (TRG 1-2), a massive influx of M2 macrophages into the tumor core was observed, with a median TPR of 6.67. TPR was negatively correlated with TRG (rs=-0.65, P=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical impact of M2 macrophages in the gastric cancer microenvironment is highly dependent on their spatial distribution. The peritumoral-enriched pattern (TPR <1) mediates primary chemoresistance, whereas high infiltration in the core objectively reflects the pathological footprint following effective chemotherapy. The TPR serves as a novel tool for assessing neoadjuvant chemosensitivity in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC)

Intra-arterial administration of methotrexate, adriamycin, and cisplatin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer.

As neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer, the intra-arterial administration of methotrexate (MTX), Adriamycin (ADM), and cisplatin (CDDP; IA-MAC) was evaluated. A total of 48 patients with bladder cancer (greater than or equal to T2 or CIS) were selected and received 30.1 mg MTX, 34.5 mg ADM, and 89.1 mg CDDP as an average course. The mean tumor-regression rate after 2 or 3 weeks was 52.3%, and patients with grade 3 transitional-cell carcinoma showed the best results, achieving a 69.6% regression rate. In 30 cases (63%), downstaging was observed. Among the 46 patients who underwent subsequent surgical therapy, the bladder could be preserved in 26 cases by transurethral resection or segmental resection. According to the criteria of the Japanese Association of Cancer Therapy, a histological effect of GIII or better was obtained in 15 cases (29%). The histological effect correlated well with the tumor-regression rate. As compared with intravenous therapy with MTX, vinblastine, ADM, and CDDP (M-VAC), IA-MAC treatment was well tolerated due to its lower degree of bone marrow suppression, and it resulted in a longer disease-free interval and better survival. In addition, the period prior to surgical therapy was shortened in this study. These results suggest that IA-MAC chemotherapy can be useful as an arm of multidisciplinary treatment of advanced bladder tumors.

Aged

[Effectiveness of cisplatin with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of carcinoma of the oral cavity].

The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen utilizing cisdiaminodichloroplatinum (CDDP) with continuous 5-day infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was analyzed during the treatment of 23 patients with histologically established epidermoid carcinoma of the oral cavity. All but four patients were in clinical stage III or IV of the disease and seven of them had an inoperable tumor. No one had been treated previously. Complete response after three courses of the chemotherapy was obtained in 13 patients (56.5%) and partial response in 8 (34.8%). The overall response amounted to 91.3%. Only two tumors showed no response to the therapy after one and two courses respectively. The former patient did not continue the chemotherapy due to toxicity and the latter because of its minimal effect. During therapy the disease did not progress in any of the patients studied. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with CDDP and continuous 5-FU infusion lasting 120 hours was found to be both tolerable and an effective part of the complex management of oral cavity carcinoma without the risk of delaying subsequent definitive treatment. (Tab. 9, Ref. 18).

Adult

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by surgery in stage IIIA non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung: report of a Cancer and Leukemia Group B phase II study.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, response rates, and survival for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) followed by surgical resection in newly diagnosed patients with surgically staged IIIA non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Previously untreated patients with NSCLC underwent bronchoscopy, chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT), bone scan, and surgical staging of the mediastinum. Neoadjuvant treatment consisted of concurrent chemotherapy and RT. Patients then underwent surgical resection, which was followed in turn by additional chemotherapy and RT. Chemotherapy included cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on days 1 and 29, vinblastine 3 mg/m2 on days 1 and 3 and 29 and 31, and fluorouracil (5-FU) 30 mg/kg/d by infusion on days 1 to 3 and 29 to 31 (FVP). RT began on day 1 and included 3,000 cGy in 15 fractions. Surgery took place on day 55, and one more cycle of chemotherapy and an additional 3,000 cGy of RT began on day 85. RESULTS: Forty-one eligible patients (median follow-up, 53 months) were studied. N2 disease was present in 80%, whereas 20% had T3N0 or T3N1 lesions. Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and RT included no complete responses (CR), 21 (51%) partial responses (PR) or regressions, 19 (46%) stable disease (SD), and one (2%) progressive disease (PD). Thirty-one patients underwent surgery, and 25 were resected. In four of the 25 resection specimens, no viable tumor was present, whereas in three of the six unresectable patients, extensive biopsy results demonstrated only necrotic tumor. The maximum response achieved using all protocol treatment was 27 (66%) CRs, seven (17%) PRs or regression, six (15%) SDs, and one (2%) PD. Toxicity was substantial and primarily hematologic. There were six (15%) treatment-related deaths, which included three perioperative deaths and three chemotherapy-related toxicity deaths. The Kaplan-Meier curve indicated a 1-year survival of 58% and a median survival of 15.5 months. Nine patients (22%) remain disease-free. CONCLUSIONS: There was a reasonably high rate of PR associated with concurrent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and RT, and a high percentage of patients who ultimately were rendered completely disease-free. However, treatment-related morbidity and mortality was common. Median survival seemed to be only modestly improved beyond that achieved with less intensive means of treatment. However, a group has emerged of patients who enjoy prolonged disease-free survival and possible cure.

Adult

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, epirubicin and VP-16 for stage IIIA-IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer: a pilot study.

Twenty patients with stage IIIA-IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer were treated with cisplatin, epirubicin and VP-16 (PEV) neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CDDP, 70 mg/m2, i.v., d 1; EDX, 60 mg/m2, i.v., d 1; VP-16, 100 mg/m2, i.v., d 1-2-3; every 3 weeks). A partial response was obtained in 11 cases (55%), stable disease in 3 cases (15%), and progressive disease in 6 cases (30%). After chemotherapy, 8 (40%) patients, all achieving a partial response, were elegible for surgery: 5 (25%) had a complete resection (4 IIIA and 1 IIIB) and 3 (15%) an incomplete resection. The treatment was well tolerated. These data show that PEV is an active regimen for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in NSCLC and recommend this therapeutic approach for stage IIIA patients.

Adult

Nonmuscle-Invasive Recurrence and Management During Surveillance in Patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Who Achieve Clinical Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Many patients are medically unfit for or refuse radical cystectomy. Few postchemotherapy bladder-sparing active surveillance programs have reported on nonmuscle-invasive recurrences and treatment outcomes. In this study, we present data on nonmuscle-invasive recurrences and their management in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database. All patients received cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and were determined to have a clinical complete response (cCR) based on negative endoscopic resection, urine cytology, and cross-sectional imaging. Patient data were entered into a strict active surveillance protocol. Primary outcomes of interest were number of nonmuscle-invasive recurrences, grade and stage, and treatment. Secondary outcomes of interest were nonmuscle-invasive treatment response rate and muscle-invasive and metastatic recurrence rate. RESULTS: A total of 61 cCR patients were identified. In total, 28 patients experienced a median of 1 nonmuscle-invasive recurrence over a median follow-up of 28.3 months. There were a total of 46 nonmuscle-invasive recurrences, including 9 (20%) low-grade recurrences and 37 (80%) high-grade recurrences. Of the 37 high-grade recurrences, the majority (60%) were treated with Bacillus Calmette-Gu&#xe9;rin induction. Nonmuscle-invasive recurrence was not associated with later muscle-invasive recurrence or metastasis. Genomic analysis of paired tumor samples demonstrated clonal relatedness in one patient sample while another sample demonstrated a likely precancerous urothelial field effect. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of nonmuscle-invasive recurrences in patients who achieve cCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, most of these patients may be safely managed with bladder-preserving treatments. These findings emphasize the importance of vigilant surveillance protocols and appropriate patient selection.

bladder cancer

Mutant KRAS in Circulating Tumor DNA as a Biomarker in Localized Pancreatic Cancer Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to determine the prognostic significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). BACKGROUND: Increasingly, ctDNA is being used for clinical decision-making in a variety of solid malignancies. However, the detection and prognostic value of KRAS ctDNA as assessed by ddPCR during NAC for PDAC has yet to be characterized. METHODS: Patients with localized PDAC eligible to receive NAC were prospectively enrolled. Peripheral blood samples were obtained at diagnosis, after NAC, and after resection and analyzed for ctDNA using ddPCR. Log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess for associations with OS. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were included in the analysis. Mutant KRAS ctDNA was detected in 49.3% of patients at diagnosis, 69.6% of patients after NAC, and 69.7% of patients after resection, respectively. There were 15 (17.9%) patients who cleared mutational ctDNA over the course of treatment. Clearance of ctDNA during NAC was associated with improved overall survival (OS) (18.4&#xa0;mo. vs NR, P <0.05). Detection of mutant KRAS G12V after NAC and resection was associated with shorter OS (18.0&#xa0;mo vs NR, P <0.031). Detection of the KRAS G12V mutation after resection was associated with reduced OS (aHR 36.75, 95% CI: 2.93-461.38). CONCLUSIONS: Throughout treatment, KRAS ctDNA is detectable by ddPCR in patients with localized PDAC treated with NAC. Detection of mutant KRAS G12V after resection was associated with reduced OS.

Humans

An Annotated Biobank of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patient-Derived Xenografts Features Treatment-Na&#xef;ve and Longitudinal Samples during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

UNLABELLED: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that fails to respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) can be lethal. Developing effective strategies to eradicate chemoresistant disease requires experimental models that recapitulate the heterogeneity characteristic of TNBC. To that end, we established a biobank of 92 orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of TNBC from the tumors of 75 patients enrolled in A Robust TNBC Evaluation fraMework to Improve Survival clinical trial (ARTEMIS, NCT02276443), including 12 longitudinal sets generated from serial patient biopsies collected throughout NACT treatment and from metastatic disease. Models were established from both chemosensitive and chemoresistant tumors, and nearly 30% of the PDX models were capable of metastasizing to the lungs. Comprehensive molecular profiling demonstrated conservation of genomes and transcriptomes between patient and corresponding PDX tumors, with representation of all major transcriptional subtypes. Transcriptional changes observed in the longitudinal PDX models highlighted dysregulation in pathways associated with DNA integrity, extracellular matrix interactions, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, epigenetics, and inflammatory signaling. These alterations revealed a complex network of adaptations associated with chemoresistance. Overall, this PDX biobank provides a valuable tool for tackling the most pressing issues facing the clinical management of TNBC. SIGNIFICANCE: The development of a patient-derived xenograft biobank that comprehensively captures the genomic and transcriptional diversity of triple-negative breast cancer promises to be a robust resource to investigate and overcome chemoresistance and metastasis.

Animals

Biomarker-Based Nomogram to Predict Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify response prediction and prognostic biomarkers in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods: A retrospective multicentre study including 191 patients with MIBC who received NAC previous to radical cystectomy (RC) between 1996 and 2013. Gene expression patterns were analysed in 34 samples from transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) using Illumina microarrays. The expression levels of 45 selected differentially expressed genes between responders and non-responders to NAC were validated by quantitative PCR in an independent cohort of 157 patients. Regression analysis was used to identify predictors of downstaging and relapse. A nomogram for predicting downstaging and relapse-including clinicopathological and gene expression variables-was developed. Results: The expression levels of 1352 transcripts differed between responders and non-responders to NAC. A nomogram based on the most predictive clinical variables (age, Tis (in situ), gender, history of NMIBC, and lymphadenopathy) and genes selected following the Akaike information criterion (AIC) (CBTB16, CHMP6, DDX54, CASP8, LOR, and PLEC) was then created. In addition, a three-gene expression prognostic model to predict tumour relapse was generated. This model was able to discriminate between two groups of patients with a significantly different probability of tumour relapse (HR: 2.11; CI: 1.16-3.83, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our nomogram based on gene expression and clinical data is a useful tool to predict downstaging and tumour relapse after NAC in MIBC patients. Further validation is warranted.

bladder cancer

[Is down-staging of advanced bladder cancer by neoadjuvant chemotherapy possible?--MVEC protocol].

In 22 patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to the MVEC regimen was given. Subsequent radical cystectomy showed down-staging in 7 patients (32%). The preoperative clinical staging revealed regression of the bladder cancer in 77% of all cases. Down-grading was seen in only 2 patients. Because of the discrepancy between preoperative clinical staging and the histopathological staging after radical cystectomy, invasive tumour surgery is necessary even when clinical staging has not revealed a tumour after chemotherapy.

Aged

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin and radical surgery in early-stage bulky cervical carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 2-3 courses of cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin was used in the primary treatment of 36 consecutive patients with locally advanced early-stage cervical carcinoma [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages Ib or IIa; tumor size, greater than or equal to 4 cm]. The effectiveness of the preoperative chemotherapy was evaluated in the surgical specimens. Among the 33 evaluable patients, the overall clinical response rate was 84.8%, which included a complete response in 8 patients (24.2%) and a partial response in 20 subjects (60.6%). No residual tumor was found in the surgical specimens obtained from 2 complete responders. This therapy induced varying degrees of tumor shrinkage and rendered radical surgery feasible in all evaluable cases despite the initial bulky size of the lesions. No significant difference was observed in the response rate according to age and disease stage. Lymph-node metastases were found after chemotherapy in 18.2% (6/33) of the patients. Grade II and III hematological toxicities occurred in 23.3% of the 90 chemotherapy cycles completed. Nausea and vomiting occurred to a mild to moderate degree in 75 (83.3%) cycles. These preliminary results suggest that the administration of induction chemotherapy involving two to three courses of cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin prior to surgery is effective in reducing the tumor volume and in providing better circumstances for surgical removal of the early yet bulky cervical tumors and results in tolerable toxicity. This protocol is now undergoing prospective randomized trials to test its impact on long-term survival.

Adult

Exploratory single-nucleus multiomics analysis of myeloid cell states associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) continues to be one of the most lethal human malignancies, with the vast majority of patients ineligible for immunotherapy. Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key regulators of the PDAC tumour microenvironment (TME), yet their transcriptional and epigenomic heterogeneity in the context of chemotherapy response is poorly understood. Therefore, we performed an exploratory single nucleus multiomics analysis of PDAC tumors stratified by histopathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Surgical resection specimens from PDAC patients were classified as responders or non-responders using the American College of Pathologists (CAP) histopathologic criteria. Frozen tissue underwent simultaneous snRNA-seq and snATAC-seq on the 10x Genomics Chromium Single Cell Multiome platform, followed by downstream analyses such as differential gene expression, GO and hallmark pathway enrichment, pseudotime trajectory inference and ChromVAR transcription factor motif analysis. RESULTS: Multiomics profiling of 30&#xa0;840 high-quality nuclei revealed a myeloid compartment that differed in composition and transcriptional state between CAP-defined responders and non-responders in this small cohort. We observed a trend toward higher LAM-like state proportions in the responders than non-responders (38.4%&#xa0;vs. 26.7%), although this disparity did not achieve statistical significance. The transcriptional programs of the responder myeloid cells are associated with phagocytosis and lipid handling. Chromatin accessibility analysis further suggested candidate response-associated transcription factor motif accessibility patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant-treated PDAC tumours from CAP-defined responders in this cohort myeloid landscape with apparent enrichment of LAM-like states and immune-activating transcriptional/epigenetic programs. However, these findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating because of the small cohort size, heterogeneous treatment regimens, absence of matched pre-treatment biopsies, and lack of knockout validation. Larger treatment cohorts and functional/mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether LAM-like myeloid programs contribute to chemotherapy response or reflect a consequence of chemotherapy treatment.

Humans

Lactylome Reprogramming Mediates Therapeutic Response and Adaptation to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) exhibits high prevalence in China and poor prognosis despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), with significant chemoresistance development. Tumor-associated metabolic reprogramming and NACT-induced cellular stress promote lactate accumulation, which serves as a precursor for lysine lactylation (Kla), a post-translational modification potentially regulating cancer progression. We hypothesized that systematic characterization of the lactylome in response to NACT could reveal critical molecular mechanisms underlying treatment and identify new therapeutic vulnerabilities in ESCC. Herein, through comprehensive proteomic and lactylome profiling of tumor and adjacent normal adjacent tissues from 31 ESCC patients (with or without NACT treatment), we identified 8281 proteins and 1836 Kla sites across 62 samples. NACT induced substantial lactylome alterations with 307 differentially expressed Kla sites predominantly in nonhistone proteins involved in DNA damage response and metabolic pathways. Our data revealed that while NACT-induced suppression of energy metabolism, coupled with upregulated 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl reductase degradation 1 complex expression, may exert potential proapoptotic effects, the activation of ribosome biogenesis and increased nucleoprotein lactylation triggered tumor-protective mechanisms. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that DNA damage and elevated lactate levels induced poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 K654 lactylation, enhancing its enzymatic activity and augmenting poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of downstream targets, potentially playing a pivotal role in chemotherapy resistance-associated pathways. This comprehensive tissue-level landscape of Kla dynamics in ESCC response to chemotherapy establishes Kla as a critical regulatory mechanism in treatment response, potentially offering novel therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers for personalized treatment strategies.

Humans

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in combined treatment of breast cancer].

The paper deals with results of complex treatment of 387 patients with stage III breast cancer assigned to either neoadjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative radiotherapy or radiation alone. A study of immediate and end results showed combination of the two modalities to be more effective than each method alone in terms of degree of regression of primary tumor and, particularly, lymph node metastases and duration of recurrence-free period.

Adult

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and combined conservative treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in the adult].

Between 1980 and 1990, 64 adults with a locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma, but without metastasis, were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before conservative local treatment. Tumour localizations were limbs in 26 patients (40.6%) and other parts of the body in 38 patients (59.4%). Moreover, 27 patients had bone and/or vasculo-nervous axis involvement. Response to chemotherapy was > or = 50% for 23 patients (37.7%) with 3 complete remissions, < 50% for 36 patients and only 2 tumours progressed during chemotherapy. Conservative surgery was thus carried out for 51 patients (79.7%), 11 received external radiotherapy only. At the end of treatment, 49 patients (76.5%) were in complete remission. With a median follow-up of 76 months (range: 25 to 147), 25 patients are alive with no evolutive disease. For the whole population, the actuarial 5-year overall survival is 33.8%. Among the patients who were in complete remission at the end of therapy, 15 developed local recurrences (with metastasis for 7 patients) and 10 became metastatic. Actuarial 5-year overall survival for this subset of patients is 44.8%.

Actuarial Analysis

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (M-VAC) for locally invasive bladder cancer].

Eight patients with locally invasive bladder cancer (stages T2-T4, N0, M0; 7 men and 1 woman; mean age, 72.0 years; age range, 56 to 80 years) were treated with 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin (M-VAC). Seven of them underwent radical cystectomy after chemotherapy, while the bladder was preserved in one patient. Seven patients were free of disease during a mean follow-up period of 26.2 months (range 20-30 months). However, one patient whose pathological stage was pT2, N1 died with disease 27 months after radical cystectomy. The patient whose bladder had been preserved showed no recurrence after a follow-up period of 27 months. Pathological examination of the resected specimen after chemotherapy revealed no tumor tissue in three patients; one with negative cytology and two with positive cytology. Downstages were observed in two patients. Results showed that the toxicity of neoadjuvant M-VAC therapy is acceptable and that M-VAC therapy is effective against locally invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The problem remains of how to assess the clinical stage more accurately before chemotherapy and radical cystectomy.

Aged

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil, in operable breast cancer of intermediate stage: first results of a phase II study in 40 patients].

Forty patients with intermediate stage (T2 > 3 cm-T3, N0-N1) operable breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy by MCF (mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil). Four cycles were administered at 3-week intervals. The obvious hematological toxicity (64% of grade III for the leucocytes and up to 34% of grade IV for the granulocytes) was rapidly reversible and did not hinder completion of the treatment. Ten patients showed a complete remission and a tumor volume regression of more than 50% was observed in 12 other patients. Tumor shrinkage allowed breast-saving surgery in 50% of the cases. A complete sterilisation of the surgical specimen was found in only two of the 40 patients and a few persisting neoplastic cells were found in ten other cases. A positive response at the level of the axillary lymph nodes was also obtained in more than 50% of the cases. In 25 of the 36 cases examined, the primary chemotherapy induced cellular lesions (fibrosis, necrosis) at the tumor level. A feasibility study was undertaken in order to determine quantitatively several biochemical parameters (steroid hormone receptors, cathepsin D, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein) in very small tumor samples obtained by Tru-Cut before any treatment and in surgical specimens. In the future, these micromethods will be used systematically with the aim of estimating the value of these potential prognostic factors for therapeutic follow-up of the patients.

Adult