title: Feasibility of two dose-dense FEC regimens with growth factor support for adjuvant therapy in patients with early breast cancer: results from a randomised study of the Central European Cooperative Oncology Group (CECOG).
abstract: Addition of epirubicin to adjuvant chemotherapy can provide important benefits for patients with early breast cancer, but the optimal dose remains unclear. Further improvements can be achieved with dose-dense regimens, but densification of fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) has proved difficult, with FEC(60) providing little benefit over standard chemotherapy and FEC(100) associated with toxicity. We investigated the feasibility of two intermediate dose-dense FEC regimens. Patients were randomised to six cycles of FEC(75) or FEC(90), with all three drugs given on day 1 of each 14-day cycle. Patients also received pegfilgrastim 6 mg as a single subcutaneous injection on day 2 of each cycle. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of subjects receiving > or =85% relative dose intensity and was achieved by 96% and 88% of patients in the FEC(75) and FEC(90) arms, respectively. Of 147 FEC(75) infusions, 4.1% were delayed, while 9.8% of 143 FEC(90) infusions were delayed. The most common reasons for delay were adverse events and personal/logistical reasons. One dose reduction occurred during the study (FEC(90)), related to diarrhoea. Grade 3-4 haematological toxicities were reported in two patients in the FEC(90) arm. There were no incidences of febrile neutropenia during the study. The most common adverse events were increases in liver enzymes and gastrointestinal events; no event resulted in discontinuation. Only one patient (FEC(90)) experienced serious adverse events (vomiting and throat oedema). In conclusion, dose-dense FEC(75 )and FEC(90) are feasible with pegfilgrastim support. These regimens are associated with a very low risk of Grade 3-4 toxicity.
authors.affiliation: University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kahán
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spanik
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagnerova
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skacel
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Planko
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fitzthum
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soldatenkova
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brodowicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000069585:Filgrastim; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; C455861:pegfilgrastim; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D000069585:Filgrastim; D005472:Fluorouracil