title: [The feasibility of FEC (75) as adjuvant chemotherapy for Japanese breast cancer patients].
abstract: Recently, high-dose FEC (fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide) has been increasingly used in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in Japan. However, the safety and tolerability of high-dose FEC are not well evaluated in Japanese breast cancer patients. We studied the feasibility of FEC (75) (fluorouracil: 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin: 75 mg/m(2), and cyclophosphamide:500 mg/m(2), q 3 w, 6 cycles) as adjuvant chemotherapy for 59 primary breast cancer patients. Out of these patients, 56 (94.9%) finished 6 cycles-FEC. The mean epirubicin dose received was 431.7 mg/m(2) (95.9% of the intended dose of 450 mg/m(2)). Forty-five (76.2%) of 59 patients experienced neutropenia of grade 3 or 4, while the rates of febrile neutropenia (grade 3) and infection (grade 2) were 3.4% and 10.2%, respectively. Anemia (88.2%), fatigue (42.4%), nausea (40.6%), liver dysfunction (40.7%), and vomiting (18.7%) occurred, however most of them were mild and categorized into grade 1 or 2. No patients developed any cardiac failure symptoms. This study shows FEC (75) is well tolerable as adjuvant chemotherapy for Japanese breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University.
authors.forename: Seung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanji
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Shinzaburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D017829:Granisetron / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D014840:Vomiting, Anticipatory / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D003907:Dexamethasone; D015251:Epirubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D017829:Granisetron