[Prospective randomized trial on the efficacy of adjuvant endocrine therapy for ER-positive breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy].
OBJECTIVE
To asses the efficacy of adjuvant endocrine therapy in ER-positive breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy.


METHODS
369 estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer patients were divided into two groups after radical mastectomy: 1. Endocrine group (N-194). The postmenopausal patients in this group received oral tamoxifen (TAM) for five years and the premenopausal patients were first treated with bilateral ovary ablation and, then, given TAM for five years. 2. The chemotherapy group patients (N-175) received CTX + MTX + 5-Fu + VCR + DXM) (CMFVP) or CTX + MTX + 5-Fu (CMF) multi-drug chemotherapy.


RESULTS
Postmenopausal patients in the endocrine and chemotherapy groups gave disease-free survival rates (DFSR) of 78.4% and 45.4% (P < 0.01). Their overall survival rates were 83.3% and 52.9% (P < 0.05). The premenopausal patients gave DFSR of 72.8% and 35.7% (P < 0.01), and their overall survival rates were 80.7% and 60.6% (P < 0.05). But, no significant difference was observed in the stage I patients and those having > or = 8 axillary lymph node metastases (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
For ER-positive breast cancer patients, the adjuvant endocrine therapy gives results superior or equal to multi-drug chemotherapy after radical mastectomy.
Jiang
Z
Z
Department of Breast Cancer, Hospital 307, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
Song
S
S
Liu
X
X
D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015409:Mastectomy, Radical; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate