Summary
Our first series started in January 1965. The experimental group (507 cases) received one single, short adjuvant chemotherapy course (cyclophosphamide 5 mg/kg/day for six days, starting immediately after mastectomy). The randomized control group had 519 cases. The 15-year relapse-free rates were 53.70% and 38.09% respectively.
Our second series started in March 1977. Now all patients receive one single, short adjuvant chemotherapy course (a multidrug course). Cases with histologically proven axillary metastases are then randomized to a new experimental group with chemotherapy continued for one year, and a control group. The series is still open.
Compared with the historical control group without any chemotherapy, the new experimental group fared extremely well. Compared with the new, randomized control group with a short adjuvant course, however, the gain seems only moderate. The side effects of the two schedules for a single, short adjuvant chemotherapy course were practically negligible. The side effects of the continued chemotherapy for one year were considerable, and for some patients not tolerable. Nausea and vomiting tended to increase in severity and duration from course to course.
Our tentative conclusions are: one single, short adjuvant chemotherapy course immediately after mastectomy may be recommended to all patients. It does increase the cure rate, and the side effects are acceptable. Extension of adjuvant chemotherapy to treatment for one year is still experimental, and should be restricted to high-risk groups. Further ‘cost-benefit’ analysis of such an extension is needed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nissen-Meyer R, Kjellgren K, Malmio K, Månsson B, Norin T: Surgical adjuvant chemotherapy. Results with one short course with cyclophosphamide after mastectomy for breast cancer. Cancer 41: 2088–2098, 1978.
Nissen-Meyer R, Kjellgren K, Månsson B: Adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Recent Results Cancer Res 80: 142–148, 1982.
Nissen-Meyer R: The Scandinavian clinical trials.In The proceedings of ‘Second Symposium on Clinical Trials in Early Breast Cancer — Where do we go next?’, Heidelberg, 14–17 December 1981. Springer-Verlag. (in press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
writing committee for the Scandinavian Adjuvant Chemotherapy Study Group
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nissen-Meyer, R., Høst, H., Kjellgren, K. et al. Perioperative adjuvant chemotherapy vs postoperative chemotherapy for one year. Breast Cancer Res Tr 2, 391–394 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805881
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805881