RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This multicenter phase II study was conducted to evaluate the response and safety of a combination of docetaxel plus doxorubicin as neoadjuvant therapy for stage II, III breast cancer. METHODS: Patients with stage II or III breast cancer underwent three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 and docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks followed by curative surgery. Prophylactic GCSF was not used. RESULTS: Ninety patients were enrolled in the study and 86 were evaluable for efficacy. The median age was 43 years (range, 30-69). The mean relative dose intensity was 0.98 for docetaxel and 0.98 for doxorubicin. Breast-conserving surgery was performed in 12 (13.7%) patients. The clinical overall response rate was 86% and pathologic complete response was 10.5%. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 26% of total 258 cycles and febrile neutropenia was observed in 15.8%. Pneumonia was observed in one patient and grade 3 mucositis was observed in three patients. CONCLUSION: Docetaxel and doxorubicin was an effective and well-tolerated neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage II and III breast cancer. Clinical benefit of this treatment will be confirmed by survival data with long term follow up.
