title: Feasibility and safety of weekly sequential epirubicin-paclitaxel as adjuvant treatment for operable breast cancer patients older than 70 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are currently no internationally agreed recommendations for the management of adjuvant chemotherapy in women aged >70 years with high-risk breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and the tolerance of adjuvant weekly sequential epirubicin-paclitaxel combination in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2005 to 2009, 59 women over 70 years of age with operable breast cancer and who required adjuvant chemotherapy were proposed weekly sequential epirubicin-paclitaxel chemotherapy schedule, and were prospectively registered. Compliance and treatment tolerance were studied. We also report preliminary results of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weekly sequential epirubicin-paclitaxel was well tolerated. No grade 4 adverse event occurred. No secondary malignancy was observed. Compliance with chemotherapy was good: 95% of patients received the six planned cycles. After a median follow-up of 24 months, median DFS and OS were not reached, there were only three relapses, and two cancer-related deaths were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study conducted in patients over 70 years of age demonstrates the feasibility of weekly adjuvant chemotherapy including anthracyclines and taxanes in a sequential schedule. This regimen is safe in terms of hematologic, nonhematologic, and cardiac toxicities, and showed encouraging efficacy, justifying further studies in geriatric patients.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Centrede Recherche INSERM 866, Faculté de Médecine, 7 Boulevard Jeanne d’Arc, Dijon, France. sladoire@cgfl.fr
authors: Sylvain
authors: S
authors: Ladoire
authors: Laurie
authors: L
authors: Rambach
authors: Valérie
authors: V
authors: Quipourt
authors: Laure
authors: L
authors: Favier
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Ghiringhelli
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Arnould
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Pfitzenmeyer
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Fumoleau
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Coudert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone