title: Long-term survival of patients treated with combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: Long-term survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated on two prospective stratified randomised trials has been analysed. Patients on study B122 received either cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil (CAF). On study B141 patients received CAF or mitolactol (dibromodulcitol), doxorubicin and vincristine alternating after every three cycles with three cycles of CMF (DAV/CMF). Long-term follow-up of 172 patients showed no significant survival difference (in multivariate regression models) for treatment with either CMF vs. CAF or CAF vs. DAV/CMF. The difference in median survival times between CMF and CAF showed a trend in favour of CAF. Advances in the management of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women obtained by doxorubicin regimens have had a small but measurable impact on survival, but known patient discriminants were not overridden by the treatment regimens investigated in these studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falkson
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tormey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Falkson
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008936:Mitolactol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008936:Mitolactol; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate