Is risk of central nervous system (CNS) relapse related to adjuvant taxane treatment in node-positive breast cancer? Results of the CNS substudy in the intergroup Phase III BIG 02-98 Trial.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer central nervous system (CNS) metastases are an increasingly important problem because of high CNS relapse rates in patients treated with trastuzumab and/or taxanes.


METHODS
We evaluated data from 2887 node-positive breast cancer patients randomised in the BIG 02-98 trial comparing anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy (control arms) to anthracycline-docetaxel-based sequential or concurrent chemotherapy (experimental arms). After a median follow-up of 5 years, 403 patients had died and detailed information on CNS relapse was collected for these patients.


RESULTS
CNS relapse occurred in 4.0% of control patients and 3.7% of docetaxel-treated patients. CNS relapse occurred in 27% of deceased patients in both treatment groups. CNS relapse was usually accompanied by neurologic symptoms (90%), and 25% of patients with CNS relapse died without evidence of extra-CNS relapse. Only 20% of patients survived 1 year from the diagnosis of CNS relapse. Prognosis of CNS relapse was worse for patients with meningeal carcinomatosis when compared with brain metastases. Unexpected findings included a higher rate of positive cerebrospinal fluid cytology (8% versus 3%) and more frequent use of magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis (47% versus 30%) in the docetaxel-treated patients.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no evidence that adjuvant docetaxel treatment is associated with an increased frequency of CNS relapse.
Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. bernhard.pestalozzi@usz.ch
B C
BC
Pestalozzi
P
P
Francis
E
E
Quinaux
S
S
Dolci
E
E
Azambuja
R D
RD
Gelber
G
G
Viale
A
A
Balil
M
M
Andersson
B
B
Nordenskjöld
M
M
Gnant
J
J
Gutierrez
I
I
Láng
J P A
JP
Crown
M
M
Piccart-Gebhart
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000556:secondary*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D017211:Treatment Failure
D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate