Phase III study of standard combination versus rotating regimen of induction chemotherapy in patients with hormone insensitive metastatic breast cancer: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Intergroup Study (E3185).

Objective: The objective of this multicenter phase III trial was to study the impact on time to treatment failure (TTF) and survival of cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil (CAF) versus CAF/thiotepa, Adriamycin, vinblastine, and Halotestin (TsAVbH), a partially noncross-resistant regimen used in a rotating schedule in the treatment of hormone insensitive metastatic breast cancer in accordance with the Goldie and Coldman hypothesis.

Methods: Three hundred forty-three patients received 6 cycles of induction treatment with one of 2 regimens. Patients with estrogen receptor-negative tumors or those with estrogen receptor-positive or estrogen receptor-unknown tumors with demonstrated unresponsiveness to hormone treatment were eligible.