The chemotherapeutic regimen consisted of docetaxel (75 mg/m2) and doxorubicin (50 mg/m2) by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks.

The chemotherapeutic regimen consisted of docetaxel (75 mg/m2) and doxorubicin (50 mg/m2) by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. After three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patients were re-evaluated for response and underwent curative surgery. Radiologic response was evaluated using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the primary breast tumor and chest computed tomography (CT) for axillary, supraclavicular, internal mammary lymph nodes with RECIST criteria. Both breast MRI and chest CT were performed in all the 78 patients. Subsequently, the patients received three more cycles of docetaxel and doxorubicin as an adjuvant chemotherapy, followed by hormonal or radiation therapy, if indicated.

The primary end point of this trial was evaluating pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. After 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients were undertook breast surgery. Using post operative pathology specimen, we evaluated pathologic response and calculated pCR rate.

Relapse-free survival, overall survival were estimated by Kaplan-Meier product limit methods