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Intensive postoperative chemoimmunotherapy for patients with stage II and stage III breast cancer
Author(s) -
Buzdar Aman U.,
Gutterman Jordan U.,
Blumenschein George R.,
Hortobagyi Gabriel N.,
Tashima Charles K.,
Smith Terry L.,
Hersh Evan M.,
Freireich Emil J,
Gehan Edmund A.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197803)41:3<1064::aid-cncr2820410340>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , chemoimmunotherapy , stage (stratigraphy) , breast cancer , cyclophosphamide , adjuvant , surgery , cancer , axillary nodes , chemotherapy , oncology , paleontology , biology
For the past 34 months, a combination of 5‐fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and BCG (FAC‐BCG) was evaluated as adjuvant treatment in stage II and III breast cancer patients with positive axillary nodes. In the group of 131 patients receiving FAC‐BCG, the estimated proportion remaining disease‐free at 2 years from surgery was 91% compared to an estimated 69% in a group of 151 historical control patients (p < 0.01). This advantage was statistically significant in all subgroups except for patients with primary tumor less than 3 cm and for patients with less than 4 positive nodes. Estimated 2‐year survival rates were 96% for FAC‐BCG patients and 86% for control (p = 0.02). Treatment was well tolerated. Adjuvant FAC‐BCG seems effective in prolonging disease‐free interval and early survival in patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Its long term efficacy will require longer follow‐ups.