Intensive cyclic chemotherapy and transplantation of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) or whole blood in high-risk breast cancer - follow up at 10 years.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of our paper is to contribute to objectification of currently widely discussed results of overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) and time from relapse to tumor progression (TTP) in women with breast cancer.


METHODS
Forty consecutive patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were admitted to the study. Fifty-six women were included in the control group. All patients received 6 cycles of adjuvant intensive cyclic combined chemotherapy with epirubicin 150 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 1250 mg/m(2) (EC) applied each 14 days. To overcome haematological toxicity transplantations of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) or whole blood enriched of PBPC were used.


RESULTS
We found statistically significant difference in OS regardless of the stage of the disease to the benefit of women treated by intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy when compared with the control group. In evaluation of DFS no statistically significant difference was found in survival between the control group and the group with all stages of the disease. TTP in women without relation to the stage was statistically significantly longer than in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy did not show better curative effect when compared with conventional dosage chemotherapy.
Cinek
P
P
Department of Clinical Oncology, Central Military Hospital, 169 02 Prague, Czech Republic.
Filip
S
S
Vanasek
J
J
Mericka
P
P
Blaha
M
M
Zouhar
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013234:Stem Cells; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide