title: Adriamycin alone or combined with vincristine in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
abstract: One hundred and nineteen women with advanced breast cancer treated previously by endocrine therapy but no prior chemotherapy were given adriamycin 70 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 of a 3-weekly cycle for 8 courses, followed by a regimen of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) until relapse. They were allocated randomly to receive either no treatment (group A) or vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 8 during treatment with adriamycin (group AV). In 107 evaluable patients objective responses were seen in 30/53 patients (57%) in group A and in 28/54 patients (52%) in group AV. The projected dose of adriamycin received was 78% in group A and 75% in group AV; and 60% for vincristine in group AV. The subjective and haematological toxicity for adriamycin was similar in both groups, but 65% of patients treated with vincristine developed neurotoxicity. The median duration of objective regressions was the same for both groups (7 months), and the median time to failure was 5 months for group A and 6 months for group AV respectively. The median survival of the responders tended to be longer in group AV (17.5 months) than in group A (13 months), but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). It is concluded that there is no advantage therapeutically in combining vincristine and adriamycin in patients with advanced breast cancer.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin