Taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy in node positive, early stage Turkish breast cancer patients

Abstract

AbstractAdjuvant chemotherapy decreases the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with breast cancer. In addition, it increases the rate of survival. Therefore, various chemotherapy regimens are administered in the treatment of breast cancer. The efficacy of taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapies has been demonstrated in various trials. This trial was designed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of taxane-based chemotherapies in lymph node-positive, early-stage Turkish breast cancer patients. 29 patients receiving TAC regimen and 29 patients receiving AC+P regimen were evaluated. 6 courses of TAC regimen were administered every 3 weeks (docetaxel 75 mg/m2, doxorubicine 50 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2). The other patient group was administered AC+P regimen (4 courses of doxorubicin 60mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 combination every 2 weeks, followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 for 4 courses every 2 weeks). The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3%, 81.1% and 72.8% respectively. No significant difference was detected in DFS between premenopausal and postmenopausal patients on the taxane regimen (p=0.82). There was no significant difference in DFS between estrogen or progesterone receptor positive and negative patients (p=0.46). Disease-free survival of patients receiving TAC and AC+P adjuvant chemotherapy regimen was compared. The follow-up period of patients on AC+P chemotherapy was longer than those receiving TAC (AC+P mean 38.6±12.8 months, TAC mean 17.1±5.4 months). No significant difference was observed upon evaluation of both treatment arms with respect to DFS (p=0.92). In conclusion, this trial once more demonstrated that taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy was effective and safe in lymph node-positive, early-stage Turkish breast cancer patients.