title: Adjuvant high-dose chemotherapy with epirubicin and ifosfamide in nodal positive breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Morbidity and mortality, disease-free- and overall survival were analysed in an adjuvant high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) study with ifosfamide and epirubicin for high-risk (> or = 10 positive lymph nodes) breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 patients (pts) were treated with 4 cycles of ViEC (vindesine, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide) as standard chemotherapy. After the second cycle, CD34+ stem cells were mobilised with G-CSF. HDCT consisted of epirubicin 100 mg/m2 on days (-5)-(-4) before stem-cell rescue and ifosfamide 5000 mg/m2 on days (-5)-(-2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No therapy-related deaths occurred. Mucositis WHO grade III/IV in 52% and neutropenic fever in 81% were the most relevant toxicities. Nausea and vomiting WHO grades III/IV were found in 62.2%. The median duration of leucopenia grade IV was 7 days (range: 4-11) with a median time to platelet recovery > 50,000/microliter of 6 days (range: 4-11). After a median follow-up time of 21 months (range: 12-49 months), six of 21 pts (28.6%) relapsed. Two patients died 12 and 18 months after initial diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjuvant HDCT with epirubicin and ifosfamide is safe and shows good tolerability for high-risk breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany. Diana.Lueftner@rz.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lüftner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dingeldein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sezer
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Mergenthaler
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wernecke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Possinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015251:Epirubicin; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D007069:Ifosfamide