title: 5-Fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC combination) in advanced breast cancer.
abstract: Thirty patients with advanced breast cancer, not pretreated with chemotherapy for advanced disease, received a polychemotherapy regimen containing 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2 iv), epirubicin (50 mg/m2 iv) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2 iv) every four weeks. All patients were evaluable for response and for toxicity. No complete remissions were observed, while 13 patients (43.5%) achieved a partial remission for a median duration of 46 weeks. The main side-effects were alopecia (grade 2-3 in 57%), leukopenia (grade 3-4 in 33%) and nausea/vomiting (grade 3-4 in 27%). In three cases we observed laboratory signs of cardiotoxicity without clinical symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Oncologia Osp. S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zamagni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martoni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ercolino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanneberger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pannuti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil