title: Primary systemic therapy with intermittent weekly paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in patients with stage II and III breast cancer: a phase II trial.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pathologic complete response (pCR) rates and adverse events with primary systemic therapy (PST) of intermittent weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Node-positive patients with stage II and III breast cancer received paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) followed by gemcitabine 1,200 mg/m(2) on day 1 and day 8, every 3 weeks for four cycles. Postoperatively, four cycles of doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks were given. Of 44 enrolled patients, 73% had stage III breast cancer with 68% hormone-receptor positive and 41% HER2 positive tumors. Eight patients achieved pCR in primary tumors (18%), 11 in axillary nodes (25%), and five in both tumor and axillary nodes (11%). Breast conservation was possible in 28 patients (64%). Grade III/IV toxicities were neutropenia (57%), leukopenia (14%), febrile neutropenia (2%), and headache (2%). In conclusion, PST with intermittent weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with stage II/III breast cancer is both well tolerated and effective, showing 18% pCR rate in the breast.
authors.affiliation: Center for Breast Cancer, National Cancer Center, 809 Madu-1-dong, Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Keun Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jungsil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: Eun Sook
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Han Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Seok Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Ho
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Youngmee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Eun-A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine