Análisis de efectividad de la epirrubicina neoadyuvante en dosis convencional en pacientes con cáncer de mama localmente avanzado

Objective: A retrospective cohort study of patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). The purpose was to evaluate the pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with conventional dose schedule with 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC respectively). Patients and methods: Patients diagnosed with stage III breast cancer were selected from January 1999 to December 2000. 63 patients received FEC (500 mg/m2, 75 mg/m2, and 500 mg/m 2 , respectively) every 3 weeks for 4 cycles followed by surgery and radiotherapy. The patients also received adjuvant chemotherapy. Variables such as age, histological type, histological grade, initial tumor size, and clinical axillary node size before and after chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated. Results: A clinical objective response rate (ORR) of 77.7% (RC 58.7%; RP 19%) a pathological complete response rate (RPc) of 14.2% (n = 9) and negative axillary lymph rate of 33.3% (n = 21) were obtained. The predominant data were old patient (60.3%), tumor size category T3 (44.4%), lymph node conglomerate type N2 (61.9%), stage IIIA (57.1%), moderately differentiated tumor (66.6%), ductal adenocarcinoma (75%) and absence of vascular permeation (81%). Conclusion: This study showed that neoadjuvant FEC scheme of four cycles with conventional dose for treating patients with LABC presented a low rate of RPc.