title: Locally advanced non-metastatic breast cancer: analysis of prognostic factors in 125 patients homogeneously treated with a combined modality approach.
abstract: 125 stage III breast cancer patients, including 51 cases of inflammatory carcinoma, were treated with the following combined modality approach: three courses of primary 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (FAC) chemotherapy followed by locoregional treatment and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of three courses of FAC alternating with three courses of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (CMF). Clinical response to primary FAC was 65% (complete 10%). Residual tumour mass in the mastectomy specimen was > 1 and < or = 1 cm in 82 and 18% of cases, respectively. Complete pathological response following primary chemotherapy was achieved in only 3.5% of cases. After primary FAC and local treatment, 97% of patients were disease-free. Overall survival (S) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 5 years were 56 and 34%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that age, receptor status and clinical and pathological response to primary chemotherapy did not appear to influence treatment outcome significantly, whereas stage, presence of inflammatory disease and number of involved nodes had a significant impact on both S and PFS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Ospedale S. Chiara, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gardin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campora
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Repetto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canavese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catturich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corvò
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guenzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pronzato
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil