Dose-dense intensified sequential versus conventionally-dosed anthracycline and taxane-containing neoadjuvant therapy in patients with inflammatory breast cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

This post-hoc analysis aimed to compare an intense dose-dense sequential chemotherapy (DD-CT) and a conventionally-dosed chemotherapy (CD-CT) in the neoadjuvant AGO-1 study, focusing on the subgroup with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Out of 668 randomised patients, 101 patients presented with IBC. Patients received epirubicin followed by paclitaxel every 2 weeks (DD-CT) or simultaneously every 3 weeks (CD-CT).

RESULTS:

No differences in pathological complete response rates were observed [odds ratio (OR)=1.27, p=0.33]. Most patients were scheduled for mastectomy before starting therapy; however, in 21.7% breast-conserving surgery was performed. Disease-free survival rates [Hazard Ratio (HR)=0.65; p=0.597] and overall survival rates (HR=1.40; p=0.327) were similar for both treatment arms. Patients with breast-conserving surgery had a significantly better outcome than patients treated with mastectomy (disease-free survival: HR=0.41; p=0.034 and overall survival: HR=0.09; p=0.003).

CONCLUSION:

Patients with IBC benefited not from DD-CT but from breast-conserving surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

• Authors: N Ditsch, A Vodermaier, A Hinke, S Burghardt, M Lenhard, B Löhrs, B Toth, F Von Koch, S Kahlert, I Bauerfeind, G E Konecny, S Loibl, G VON Minckwitz, M Untch
• Journal: Anticancer research (Anticancer Res) Vol. 32 Issue 8 Pg. 3539-45 (Aug 2012) ISSN: 1791-7530 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 22843943 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Epirubicin
• Paclitaxel

Topics

• Adult
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Epirubicin (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Humans
• Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Middle Aged
• Paclitaxel (administration & dosage)
• Treatment Outcome