title: [Adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal and menopausal high-risk patients with breast cancer. 4. Results of the DBCG (Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group) 77B study].
abstract: From October 1977 to November 1982 premenopausal and menopausal high-risk breast cancer patients were included in a randomized trial (DBCG 77B). The primary surgical treatment was total mastectomy with axillary dissection. In the trial, a total of 1,034 patients were enrolled and received postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and were further randomized to 1) no systemic treatment, 2) cyclophosphamide, or 3) cyclophosphamide + methotrexate + 5-fluorouracil. The chemotherapy was given for one year. With a median observation time of ten years, the survival was 45, 60 and 62%, respectively. Retrospectively, the survival benefit was observed to be most pronounced in the age group less than 40 years, in patients with tumour size less than or equal to 5 cm or with less than or equal to 3 positive lymph nodes. In high-risk premenopausal and menopausal patients adjuvant chemotherapy combined with RT thus resulted in a more than 25% relative reduction in mortality at ten years of observation compared with RT alone.
authors.affiliation: Finseninstitutet, Rigshospitalet, København.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dombernowsky
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Axelsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blichert-Toft
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krag
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Mouridsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Overgaard
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
vernacular_title: Adjuverende kemoterapi af praemenopausale og menopausale højrisikopatienter med cancer mammae. 4. Resultater fra DBCG 77B undersøgelsen.