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Clinical experience of weekly paclitaxel-based treatment as preoperative chemotherapy for patients with primary breast cancer

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Abstract

Background

Paclitaxel is an effective agent in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly paclitaxel-based preoperative chemotherapy in patients with large operable breast cancer.

Methods

Patients initially received paclitaxel as a 3-hour infusion at 175 mg/m2. Three weeks after initial administration, two cycles of three weeks of paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 over a 1 hour infusion followed by a one week break were given. Of 22 patients, 9 had stage II (tumor diameter greater than 3 cm), 4 stage IIIA, 7 stage IIIB, and 2 stage IV (with ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis) cancer, respectively.

Results

Excluding stageN patients, the overall response rate to paclitaxel chemotherapy was 80%. Four of the 20 patients (20%) showed a clinical complete response (cCR). Two of these showed pathologic complete response and the other 2 had only the ductal component remaining. The primary tumor response and axillary lymph node downstaging following preoperative chemotherapy tended to be related in 16 patients with clinically positive nodes. Breast conserving surgery was performed as a result of down-staging in the 9 stage II patients. Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in one patient when 175 mg/m2 of paclitaxel was administered, but no serious side effects developed during the weekly administration of paclitaxel.

Conclusion

The use of weekly paclitaxel-based preoperative chemotherapy appears to yield a significant anti-tumor effect without inducing serious drug-related adverse effects. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this treatment appears to result in a higher frequency of breast conserving surgery.

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Abbreviations

cCR:

clinical complete response

cPR:

clinical partial response

cSD:

clinical stable disease

cPD:

clinical progress disease

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2 Oonohigashi, 589-8511, Osakasayama, Japan

    Masahiro Watatani, Kazuki Ueda, Koji Daito, Tatsuya Azumi, Teruhiko Hirai, Munehisa Yamato, Toshiya Hojo, Kyoko Hirai, Hiroki Inui & Hitoshi Shiozaki

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  1. Masahiro Watatani
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  2. Kazuki Ueda
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  3. Koji Daito
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  4. Tatsuya Azumi
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  5. Teruhiko Hirai
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  6. Munehisa Yamato
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  7. Toshiya Hojo
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  8. Kyoko Hirai
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  9. Hiroki Inui
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  10. Hitoshi Shiozaki
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Correspondence to Masahiro Watatani.

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Watatani, M., Ueda, K., Daito, K. et al. Clinical experience of weekly paclitaxel-based treatment as preoperative chemotherapy for patients with primary breast cancer. Breast Cancer 11, 187–193 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02968300

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02968300

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