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| | | ![]() Taxotere/Cyclophosphamide Offers Greater Disease-Free Survival for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients: Presented at SABCS By Ed Susman SAN ANTONIO, TX -- December 13, 2005 -- The combination of docetaxel (Taxotere) and cyclophosphamide should replace doxorubicin (Adriamycin)/cyclophosphamide as the regimen of choice for women with early-stage breast cancer, researchers said here at the 28th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). "At a median follow-up of 66 months, Taxotere/cyclophosphamide compared to Adriamycin/cyclophosphamide was associated with superior disease-free survival -- a 33% decreased risk," said Stephen Jones, MD, medical director, US Oncology Research, Houston, Texas. The difference in disease-free survival reached statistical significance at the P = .015 level. "We also saw a strong trend toward overall survival," Dr. Jones said on December 11th in the final general session. "There was a 24% reduction in the risk of death, which did not reach statistical significance [P = .13]. However, we think that the difference in disease-free survival will eventually translate to a significant overall survival benefit." Dr. Jones noted that for more than a generation the combination of Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide had been the standard treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer, but recent studies have indicated that taxanes might offer a better survival benefit for these patients. The researchers in 1997 began enrolling 1,016 women and offered 506 of them adjuvant chemotherapy with four cycles of the Taxotere-based therapy consisting of 75-mg/m2 Taxotere and 600-mg/m2 cyclophosphamide every 21 days and offered 510 patients four cycles of the Adriamycin-based chemotherapy with 60-mg/m2 Adriamycin and 600-mg/m2 cyclophosphamide every 21 days. All the patients underwent radiation therapy after finishing chemotherapy. After radiation, patients were given tamoxifen if they were found to have hormone-responsive cancer. One problem with the Adriamycin combination -- cardiac toxicity -- is not a concern with Taxotere, Dr. Jones said. In his study, he reported, there was no cardiac toxicity in either arm.
"Taxotere/cyclophosphamide (TC) should now be considered as a standard nonanthracycline adjuvant regimen for operable breast cancer," Dr. Jones said.
[Presentation title: Final analysis: TC (Docetaxel/Cyclophosphamide, 4 Cycles) has a Superior Disease-Free Survival Compared to Standard AC (Doxorubicin/Cyclophosphamide) in 1016 Women With Early Stage Breast Cancer. Abstract 40]
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