[Clinicopathological evaluation of preoperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel for locally advanced breast cancer].

While the optimum regimen and therapeutic duration of preoperative chemotherapy have not been established for advanced breast cancer, the combination regimen of anthracycline series and taxane series, which has been well received as a postoperative chemotherapy, is also recommended for preoperative chemotherapy. We here present a clinicopathological evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the regimen and the predictors of the effectiveness of preoperative chemotherapy conducted retrospectively in patients with advanced breast cancer who were treated preoperatively with the combination of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by sequential weekly paclitaxel during the period between January 2004 and June 2007 at Yamada Red Cross Hospital. Eleven patients were treated preoperatively with the regimen during the study period.