Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer in Kyushu.
BACKGROUND
There is lack of information on the present status of adjuvant therapy for breast cancer in Kyushu. Therefore, the Kyushu Breast Cancer Study Group (KBC-SG) started registering newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who were to receive adjuvant therapy.


METHODS
During a period from 2001 to 2003, institutions participating in KBC-SG registered new patients who underwent curative surgical treatment for breast cancer to the registration office. One year later, the office sent them inquiries to gather any missing information.


RESULTS
A total of 2284 patients were registered from 49 institutions. The mean age was 55, ranging from 30 to 93 years, and 46% had stage I disease. Estrogen and/or progesterone receptor was positive in 71% by immunoperoxidase staining, and HER2 was expressed in 297 (33%) of 906 patients. Twenty percent of the patients underwent adjuvant radiation therapy with or without antineoplastic agents. Overall, 98% received hormonal and/or cytotoxic agents. Anthracycline-containing regimens were given to 628 of 1285 (49%) patients with chemotherapy, while 360 (28%) received oral 5-fluorouracil derivatives with or without oral cyclophosphamide.


CONCLUSIONS
Anthracycline combination chemotherapy was commonly used as adjuvant therapy, but there were over a quarter of patients only given oral 5-FU derivatives, which might not be recommended by worldwide consensus. Adjuvant radiation therapy was also given to only 20% of the patients in Kyushu, which might be fewer than the report by the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. Based on these data, the KBC-SG will continue cooperative studies to improve the quality of adjuvant treatment for early breast cancer.
Wakamatsu
Shinichi
S
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoke City 814-0810, Japan.
Mitsuyama
Shoshu
S
Nanba
Kiyoshi
K
Nishimura
Reiki
R
Nishimura
Kiyoshi
K
Sagara
Yoshiatsu
Y
Tanaka
Maki
M
Tamaki
Nobumitsu
N
Koga
Toshihiro
T
Tamura
Kazuo
K
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen