Side-effects of pre-operative epirubicin-paclitaxel therapy in primary breast cancer associated with tumor biology.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this analysis is to identify relationships between side-effects, tumor biological factors and response to pre-operative epirubicin and paclitaxel therapy in primary breast cancer.


METHODS
The study was completed for 38 primary breast cancer patients (M0) who received pre-operative epirubicin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. Anemia was controlled by epoetin alfa and did not cause deviations from the planned chemotherapy schedule.


RESULTS
There were no severe adverse events, cardiotoxicity or neutropenia. Patients with negative estrogen or progesterone receptors, or high KI-67 suffered more alopecia, while HER2 overexpressing patients had less severe nausea.


CONCLUSIONS
This pre-operative chemotherapy regimen was well tolerated on the whole; side-effect profiles were correlated with tumor biological factors and also with response.
Warm
Mathias
M
Department of Senology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. mathias.warm@ukkoeln.de
Kates
Ronald
R
Thomas
Anke
A
Fischer
Thomas
T
Harbeck
Nadia
N
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D015251:Epirubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel