© 2003 by Oxford University Press
© 2003 Oxford University Press
ARTICLE |
Adjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Goserelin Versus Either Modality Alone for Premenopausal Lymph NodeNegative Breast Cancer: A Randomized Trial
International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG)1,
Affiliations of Writing Committee members: International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) Coordinating Center and Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland (MCG); IBCSG Statistical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health and Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Boston, MA (AO, KNP, MB, RDG); IBCSG Scientific Committee, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, and Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland (AG); IBCSG Scientific Committee, University of Sydney and The Cancer Council Australia, Sydney, Australia (ASC); European Institute of Oncology, Milan (MC); IBCSG Coordinating Center, Bern (MLN).
Correspondence to: Monica Castiglione-Gertsch, MD, IBCSG Coordinating Center, Effingerstrasse 40, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland (e-mail: mcastiglione{at}sakk.ch)
Background: Although chemotherapy and ovarian function suppression are both effective adjuvant therapies for patients with early-stage breast cancer, little is known of the efficacy of their sequential combination. In an International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) randomized clinical trial (Trial VIII) for pre- and perimenopausal women with lymph nodenegative breast cancer, we compared sequential chemotherapy followed by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist goserelin with each modality alone. Methods: From March 1990 through October 1999, 1063 patients stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) status and radiotherapy plan were randomly assigned to receive goserelin for 24 months (n = 346), six courses of "classical" CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) chemotherapy (n = 360), or six courses of classical CMF followed by 18 months of goserelin (CMF
goserelin; n = 357). A fourth arm (no adjuvant treatment) with 46 patients was discontinued in 1992. Tumors were classified as ER-negative (30%), ER-positive (68%), or ER status unknown (3%). Twenty percent of patients were aged 39 years or younger. The median follow-up was 7 years. The primary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Patients with ER-negative tumors achieved better disease-free survival if they received CMF (5-year DFS for CMF = 84%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 77% to 91%; 5-year DFS for CMF
goserelin = 88%, 95% CI = 82% to 94%) than if they received goserelin alone (5-year DFS = 73%, 95% CI = 64% to 81%). By contrast, for patients with ER-positive disease, chemotherapy alone and goserelin alone provided similar outcomes (5-year DFS for both treatment groups = 81%, 95% CI = 76% to 87%), whereas sequential therapy (5-year DFS = 86%, 95% CI = 82% to 91%) provided a statistically nonsignificant improvement compared with either modality alone, primarily because of the results among younger women. Conclusions: Premenopausal women with ER-negative (i.e., endocrine nonresponsive), lymph nodenegative breast cancer should receive adjuvant chemotherapy. For patients with ER-positive (i.e., endocrine responsive) disease, the combination of chemotherapy with ovarian function suppression or other endocrine agents, and the use of endocrine therapy alone should be studied.
Editorial about this Article
- Ovarian Ablation as Adjuvant Therapy for Premenopausal Women With Breast CancerAnother Step Forward
- Joseph L. Pater and Wendy R. Parulekar
J Natl Cancer Inst 2003 95: 1811-1812.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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