title: [Long-term results of preoperative chemotherapy for operable breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term therapeutic results of preoperative chemotherapy for operable breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were divided into preoperative chemotherapy group (group A, 253 cases) and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy group(group B, 284 cases). The group A patients received preoperative chemotherapy for 4 weeks, followed by radical operation two weeks after chemotherapy. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy began within 2 weeks after surgery, with the same chemotherapeutic regimen for 6 or more cycles in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) and disease-free survival rate(DFS) were 59% and 54.9%, respectively, for group A in stage III, which were higher than those of group B(28.3% and 20.8%, P < 0.05). (2) For group A in stage II and III, the 8-year OS were 81.4% and 46.9%, and DFS were 76.3% and 40.6%, respectively, which were higher than those of group B(OS: 67.4% and 20.7%, DFS: 62.9% and 13.3%, P < 0.05). (3) The 5-year and 8-year OS were higher for group A than those for group B in patients with T3, T4 or positive nodes > or = 4, (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that preoperative chemotherapy can improve the short- and long-term survival of patients with operable, stage III breast cancer and long-term survival of patients with stage II breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Cancer, Liaoning Province Tumor Hospital, Shenyang.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate