title: Comparison of neoadjuvant adriamycin and docetaxel versus adriamycin, cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel in patients with operable breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced breast cancer and is increasingly considered for patients with operable disease. Recently, as many clinical trials have demonstrated favorable outcomes of anthracycline-taxane based regimen, this approach has been widely used in the neoadjuvant setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared women who received adriamycine and docetaxel (AD) with adriamycin, cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel (AC-T) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The AD group was scheduled for six cycles of AD (50 mg/m(2) and 75 mg/m(2), respectively) at a 3-week interval. The AC-T group was scheduled for four cycles of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (50 mg/m(2) and 500 mg/m(2), respectively) followed by four cycles of paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) at a 3-week interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The responses of chemotherapy were equivalent (overall response rate [AD, 75.7% vs. AC-T, 80.9%; P = 0.566], pathologic complete response [pCR] rate [breast and axilla: AD, 10.8% vs. AC-T, 12.8%; P = 1.000; breast only: AD, 18.9% vs. AC-T, 14.9%, P = 0.623], breast conserving surgery rate [P = 0.487], and breast conserving surgery conversion rate [P = 0.562]). The pCR rate in the breast was higher in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive cases (HER2 positive 33.3% vs. negative 10%, P = 0.002). Although nonhematologic toxicities were comparable, hematologic toxicities were more severe in the AD group. Most women in the AD group suffered from grade 3/4 neutropenia (P < 0.001) and neutropenic fever (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor responses were not different in various variables between the two groups. However, AC-T was a more tolerable regimen than AD in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Ja Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Seok Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Doo Kyoung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Tae Hee
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Ee
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Young-Sil
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Rae Woong
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ku Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Breast neoplasms; Neoadjuvant therapy