title: A randomized phase II trial comparing preoperative plus perioperative chemotherapy with preoperative chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate in a randomized trial the activity of perioperative chemotherapy in patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer and to compare it with the preoperative chemotherapy alone. Patients with cT2-3 N0-2 M0 histologically proven breast cancer, with estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in less than 20% of cells, or with absence of progesterone receptors, received epirubicin 25 mg/m days 1 and 2, cisplatin 60 mg/m day 1, and fluorouracil 200 mg/m daily as continuous infusion. Responding patients were randomized to continue fluorouracil until 2 weeks after surgery (perioperative chemotherapy) or to stop fluorouracil 1 week before surgery. Fifty-eight patients completed six courses of epirubicin, cisplatin and fluorouracil, and were randomized to perioperative chemotherapy (29 patients) or to control (29 patients). The median Ki-67 index remained stable (32-27.5%) in the perioperative chemotherapy arm (P=0.3) and decreased from 55 to 22.5% in the control arm (P=0.01). The rate of pathological complete remission was 41% in both arms (P=1.0). No significant difference in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival was observed between the two arms. Perioperative chemotherapy failed to show an increase in the pathological complete remission rate. A biological effect on Ki-67 expression was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Research in Medical Senology, Department of Medicine, Division of Pathology, University of Milan School of Medicine, Italy. andrea.rocca@ieo.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peruzzotti
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghisini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luini
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Intra
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pietri
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curigliano
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giovanardi
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maisonneuve
authors.forename: Aron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldhirsch
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colleoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002945:Cisplatin; D015251:Epirubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases