A dose-dense schedule of docetaxel followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide as neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancer: results from a phase II study.

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to evaluate a dose-dense schedule of docetaxel followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with locally advanced breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-nine patients were included and received 100 mg/m(2) of docetaxel every two weeks for four cycles followed by 60 mg/m(2) of doxorubicin and 600 mg/m(2) of cyclophosphamide every two weeks for four cycles. Primary prophylaxis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was administered systematically to all patients. RESULTS: Efficacy and toxicity analyses were carried out on an intention-to-treat basis. After treatment, complete pathological response in the breast and lymph nodes was confirmed in 15 patients (15%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.4-22.9). Clinical response rate was 74% (95% CI: 65-82), of which 19% were complete responses. Breast-conserving surgery could be performed in 41% of patients. The dose-dense schedule was generally well tolerated. The most important grade 3/4 toxicities per patient were cutaneous toxicity (12.1%) and hepatic dysfunction (9.1%) during docetaxel administration, and neutropenia (28.1%) and leucopenia (8.3%) with AC. CONCLUSION: A dose-dense schedule of docetaxel followed by AC as neoadjuvant treatment is an effective and safe treatment for locally advanced breast cancer. Primary prophylaxis with G-CSF, and possibly the change in the sequence of drug administration, appears to play a major role in avoiding the excessive toxicity of dose-dense schedules.

Phase II study of dose-dense doxorubicin and docetaxel as neoadjunvant chemotherapy with G-CSF support in patients with large or locally advanced breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of the concomitant dose-dense administration of doxorubicin and docetaxel as primary chemotherapy for patients with large or locally advanced breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients were included and received 50 mg/m(2) of doxorubicin and 75 mg/m(2) of docetaxel every two weeks for four cycles. Primary prophylaxis with granulocyte colony stimulating factor was administered. RESULTS: Patients included had mainly stage III disease (66%). Efficacy and toxicity analyses were carried out on an intention-to-treat basis. After study treatment, the rate of clinical responses was 85% (95% CI: 75-95) with 6% judged as clinical complete responses. Surgery was performed on 94% patients for whom the breast was conserved in 27%. Only one patient obtained a pathological complete response (with no evidence of invasive or non-invasive tumour in the breast and the lymph nodes). In three additional patients, malignant cells were detected only in one lymph node. The single severe haematological toxicity was neutropenia, occurring in one patient (2%) and two cycles (1%), being grade 3 in one and grade 4 in the other. Severe non-haematological toxicities were grade 3, and the most common was asthenia (8% of patients), followed by cutaneous toxicity, arthromyalgia and stomatitis, which occurred in fewer than 4% of patients in each case. CONCLUSIONS: The concomitant dose-dense administration of doxorubicin and docetaxel as neoadjuvant chemotherapy with granulocyte colony stimulating factor support is a feasible and effective schedule with a safe toxicity profile for women with large or locally advanced breast cancer.