[Effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel combined with and epirubicin or pirarubicin on breast cancer: clinical analysis of 160 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects and toxicity of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel combined with epirubicin or pirarubicin on breast cancer, and to investigate the influencing factors of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.


METHODS
160 patients with stage II/III breast cancer, all females, aged 47 (22-66), were treated with docetaxel plus epirubicin or pirarubicin with 3 weeks as a cycle. Two to six cycles of treatment were given before surgery. The clinical efficacy and toxicity of the treatment were evaluated, and the correlation between the influencing factors and the clinical parameters with treatment response was analyzed.


RESULTS
The clinical response rate (RR) was 90% (144/160), the complete response (CR) rate was 26% (41/160), the partial response (PR) rate was 64% (103/160). The stable disease (SD) rate was 8% (13/160). The progress disease (PD) rate was 2% (3/160), the pathologically complete remission (pCR) rate was 7% (11/160), and the tumor-pathological complete response (tpCR) rate was 2% (1.3/160). Univariate analysis showed that the tumor size, clinical stage, triple negative phenotype might be the meaningful parameters influencing the clinical response. The patients with smaller tumor size, low stage tumor, and being triple-negative were more likely to achieve CR (P = 0.0371, 0.0013, and 0.0019 respectively). Age, histological grading, ER/PR ratio, Her-2 status did not significantly influence the early response. Multivariate analysis showed that the disease stage might be the meaningful factors for better response (P = 0.0030). The major toxic reactions of the therapy included neutropenia, alopecia, nausea, and vomiting.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and epirubicin or pirarubicin is an effective method to treat breast cancer with tolerable toxicity. The meaningful parameter influencing the early response is clinical stage.
Li
Xi-Ru
XR
Department of General Surgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China. lixiru@eyou.com
Wang
Jian-Dong
JD
Zhang
Yan-Jun
YJ
Kong
Qing-Long
QL
Ma
Bing
B
Li
Jie
J
Zheng
Yi-Qiong
YQ
Chen
Yu-Qiu
YQ
Jin
Yuan-Chao
YC
Li
Rong
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D004317:Doxorubicin; C027260:pirarubicin