title: Feasibility and toxicity of docetaxel before or after fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide as adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tolerance and safety associated with the administration order of the anthracycline and taxane drugs have not been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast cancer patients with node-positive or high-risk patients with node-negative were eligible. The feasibility and toxicity were evaluated in the following regimens--arm A, 3 courses of fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 100 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2) (FEC) followed by 3 courses of docetaxel 100 mg/m(2) (DOC); arm B, 3 courses of DOC followed by 3 courses of FEC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two patients were registered. The relative dose intensity was 94.2 % for FEC and 97.8 % for DOC in arm A, and 98.9 % for DOC and 95.2 % for FEC in arm B. In arm A, grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity was observed in nine patients, and febrile neutropenia developed in three patients with FEC. In arm B, grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity was observed in seven patients, but febrile neutropenia was not noted in any patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The regimens in both arms A and B were safe regarding adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. However, DOC followed by FEC might be more tolerable. Further studies will maximize the results obtained with DOC followed by FEC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Breast and General Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan. abe@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Hirotomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurumi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil