Dose Intensity of Chemotherapy in High-Risk Breast Cancer

In 1969, major impetus was given to solid tumour chemotherapy when it was reported that a 90% response rate could be achieved if women with advanced breast cancer were treated with a five-drug regimen [9]. Other have since confirmed that combination chemotherapy can cause disease regression and palliate symptoms of advanced breast cancer [8, 33]. In addition, after surgical removal of tumour in women with apparently localized disease, chemotherapy delays recurrence and prolongs survival [2]. However, in the past decade, results of chemotherapy of breast cancer have not improved. Varying combinations of different drugs and alterations of schedules have failed to break this impasse. In fact, introduction of these combinations and schedules has probably obscured important dose-response relationships and contributed to the impasse.