Long-term benefit of high-dose epirubicin in adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive breast cancer: 15-year efficacy results of the Belgian multicentre study.

Purpose: The 4-year results of this trial demonstrated that a higher dose of epirubicin with cyclophosphamide (HEC) is superior to a lower dose of epirubicin, 60 mg/m(2) (EC), for event-free survival (EFS; 27% reduction), but is not superior to classical oral cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) in the adjuvant treatment of node-positive breast cancer. Herein we report the 15-year data on efficacy and long-term toxicity of this three-arm Belgian multicenter trial.

Patients And Methods: Between March 1988 and December 1996, 777 eligible patients were randomly assigned to six cycles of CMF, eight cycles of EC, or eight cycles HEC.

Preoperative radiotherapy with or without concurrent fluorouracil and leucovorin in T3-4 rectal cancers: results of FFCD 9203.

Purpose: In 1992, preoperative radiotherapy was considered in France as the standard treatment for T3-4 rectal cancers. The present randomized trial compares preoperative radiotherapy with chemoradiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients were eligible if they presented a resectable T3-4, Nx, M0 rectal adenocarcinoma accessible to digital rectal examination.

[Anatomic-clinical presentation. Testicular teratocarcinoma with thoracic-abdominal adenopathy].

This case report of a young man with a testicular germ cell-teratoma tumor illustrates the necessity of a multidisciplinary sequential approach to ensure chance of cure. The outcome of patients with advanced germ cell tumor depends on the optimal clinical management. Residual masses are frequent, and their histology can be different than the initial one (i.

HER-2 and topo-isomerase IIalpha as predictive markers in a population of node-positive breast cancer patients randomly treated with adjuvant CMF or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide.

Background: The predictive role of HER-2 in node-positive breast cancer patients receiving CMF or an anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy remains unclear. In addition, topo-isomerase II alpha (topo IIalpha), as the cellular target of anthracyclines, might have value as a predictive marker.

Patients And Methods: Four hundred eighty-one archival primary tumor samples were collected among 777 patients entered into a multicenter phase III trial comparing classical CMF with epirubicin cyclophosphamide (HEC) as adjuvant therapy of node-positive breast cancer.

Phase III trial comparing two dose levels of epirubicin combined with cyclophosphamide with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil in node-positive breast cancer.

Purpose: To compare a full-dose epirubicin-cyclophosphamide (HEC) regimen with classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) therapy and with a moderate-dose epirubicin-cyclophosphamide regimen (EC) in the adjuvant therapy of node-positive breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Node-positive breast cancer patients who were aged 70 years or younger were randomly allocated to one of the following treatments: CMF for six cycles (oral cyclophosphamide); EC for eight cycles (epirubicin 60 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2); day 1 every 3 weeks); and HEC for eight cycles (epirubicin 100 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 830 mg/m(2); day 1 every 3 weeks).

Results: Two hundred fifty-five, 267, and 255 eligible patients were treated with CMF, EC, and HEC, respectively.

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil, in operable breast cancer of intermediate stage: first results of a phase II study in 40 patients].

Forty patients with intermediate stage (T2 > 3 cm-T3, N0-N1) operable breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy by MCF (mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil). Four cycles were administered at 3-week intervals. The obvious hematological toxicity (64% of grade III for the leucocytes and up to 34% of grade IV for the granulocytes) was rapidly reversible and did not hinder completion of the treatment.