Levamisole in the treatment of stage II breast cancer. Five-year follow-up of a randomized double-blind study.
The effect of levamisole combined with postoperative radiotherapy in Stage II breast cancer was investigated in a double-blind randomized study comprising 72 patients. All patients were followed for at least 5 years. Disease-free survival was slightly prolonged in the levamisole group as a whole. Among postmenopausal patients, levamisole significantly increased both disease-free and total survival (P = 0.003) and P = 0.008, respectively). The levamisole group also showed fewer distant metastases as the first sign of recurrence. Levamisole treatment was associated with a risk of granulocytopenia and agranulocytosis (10%), but, as in the authors' previous studies, this seemed to be totally reversible and did not worsen the prognosis.
Klefström
P
P
Holsti
P
P
Gröhn
P
P
Heinonen
E
E
Holsti
L
L
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007978:Levamisole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011897:Random Allocation
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007978:Levamisole