Intensive postoperative chemoimmunotherapy for patients with stage II and stage III breast cancer

Abstract

For the past 34 months, a combination of 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and BCG (FAC-BCG) was evaluated as adjuvant treatment in stage II and III breast cancer patients with positive axillary nodes. In the group of 131 patients receiving FAC-BCG, the estimated proportion remaining disease-free at 2 years from surgery was 91% compared to an estimated 69% in a group of 151 historical control patients (p < 0.01). This advantage was statistically significant in all subgroups except for patients with primary tumor less than 3 cm and for patients with less than 4 positive nodes. Estimated 2-year survival rates were 96% for FAC-BCG patients and 86% for control (p = 0.02). Treatment was well tolerated. Adjuvant FAC-BCG seems effective in prolonging disease-free interval and early survival in patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Its long term efficacy will require longer follow-ups.