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Combination chemotherapy and high‐dose cyclophosphamide intensification for poor prognosis breast cancer. A southwest oncology group study
Author(s) -
Ellis Georgiana K.,
Green Stephanie,
Schulman Susan,
Tranum Bill L.,
Goldberg Ronald S.,
Livingston Robert B.
Publication year - 1989
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(19891215)64:12<2409::aid-cncr2820641202>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - medicine , cyclophosphamide , leukopenia , chemotherapy , breast cancer , vinblastine , metastatic breast cancer , oncology , doxorubicin , induction chemotherapy , gastroenterology , cancer , fluorouracil , surgery
Thirty‐seven patients with poor prognosis, metastatic breast cancer were treated with 5‐fluorouracil, vinblastine, and Adriamycin (doxorubicin; Adria Laboratories, Columbus, OH) (FUVA) induction chemotherapy. All 26 patients (74%) with responsive or stable disease after induction chemotherapy received intensification with high‐dose cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg). Continued responders received additional FUVA as consolidation. The response rate to induction therapy was 54% (with complete response [CR] in 11%). With intensification, three patients (11%) showed improved response (partial response [PR] in one, PR to complete response [CR] in two); however, six patients (23%) progressed within 2 months of cyclophosphamide intensification, three within 1 month. The overall response rate to all three phases of the study was 69%, with CR in 23%. The median survival of all patients entered in this study was 15 months. For cyclophosphamide intensification, major toxicity consisted of leukopenia with fever requiring broad‐spectrum antibiotics in 27%. The authors conclude that a single cycle of high‐dose cyclophosphamide intensification in metastatic breast cancer does not result in significantly improved responses or prolonged survival. Cancer 64:2409–2415, 1989.