title: West Midlands Oncology Association trials of adjuvant chemotherapy in operable breast cancer: results after a median follow-up of 7 years. II. Patients without involved axillary lymph nodes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a regimen of combination chemotherapy when given as an adjuvant treatment after mastectomy to patients with histologically negative axillary lymph nodes. A total of 574 patients with cancer of the breast and no involvement of axillary lymph nodes were randomised, after simple mastectomy with axillary sampling, to receive either no adjuvant treatment or oral fluorouracil 500 mg, methotrexate 25 mg and chlorambucil 10 mg p.o. on day 1 and fluorouracil 500 mg and chlorambucil 10 mg p.o. on day 2 (LMF) every 21 days for eight cycles. Randomisation was stratified according to menopausal status and tumour size. Treatment was started within 14 days of surgery in 97% of patients. Ninety per cent of patients received eight cycles of chemotherapy with no dose reduction. At a median follow-up of 7 years, there was no evidence that relapse-free or overall survival time were influenced by treatment.
authors.affiliation: Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Grieve
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Monypenny
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015413:Mastectomy, Simple; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D002699:Chlorambucil; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate