Pre-operative chemotherapy in operable breast cancer, phase III study comparing a short intensive pre-operative chemotherapy with the same therapy initiated shortly after surgery (peri-operatively) (POCOB) (EORTC 10902)

Inclusion Criteria:

Disease Characteristics:

• Palpable, operable breast cancer that has been diagnosed by core needle biopsy (mandatory for T1c tumors) or fine needle aspiration within 21 days prior to entry
• Stage T1c-4b, N0-1, M0

Hormone receptor status:

• Not specified
• No bilateral breast cancer

Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

• No previous treatment for breast cancer

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No previous chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Core needle biopsy or fine needle aspiration within 21 days prior to entry
• Repeated core needle biopsy permitted

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

• 16 to 70

Sex:

• Women only

Menopausal status:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• WHO 0-2

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 4,000
• Platelets at least 100,000

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.8 mg/dL (50 micromoles/L)

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.3 mg/dL (120 micromoles/L)

Cardiovascular:

• No congestive heart failure
• No significant arrhythmia
• No bilateral bundle branch block
• No recent myocardial infarction
• No uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic pressure greater than 110 mm Hg)

Other:

• No male breast cancer

• No pregnant or nursing women

• No second malignancy except adequately treated:

  • Nonmelanomatous skin cancer
  • Cervical cancer