title: Timing of paclitaxel treatment in pre-operative or post-operative does not affect survival in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Two epirubicin and paclitaxel-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens were compared in breast cancer patients.
  
  
  
  We enrolled 309 breast cancer patients who received two types of regimens: cyclophosphamide + epirubicin dose-dense neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by sequential postoperative paclitaxel single-drug medication, and paclitaxel + epirubicin standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by two cycles of the same chemotherapy after surgery. The primary endpoint was a pathological complete response (pCR) and the secondary endpoints were disease-free and overall survival.
  
  
  
  The median follow-up time was 65 months. The overall pCRs for pathological efficacy and efficacy of primary lesions were 14.4% and 29.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). The pCR of the paclitaxel + epirubicin group was significantly higher than in the cyclophosphamide + epirubicin group (17.3% vs. 9.2%; P = 0.0345), but the five-year disease-free survival rates in both groups were not significantly different (82.9% vs. 75.3%; P = 0.916).
  
  
  
  The results of our study indicated that the timing of paclitaxel therapy, either preoperative or postoperative, does not affect survival times in breast cancer patients.
authors.forename: Jiayu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Binghe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Pin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ruigang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel; D005472:Fluorouracil
keywords: 
  Adjuvant therapy; breast cancer; epirubicin; neoadjuvant therapy; paclitaxel