ISSN:
1569-8041
Keywords:
adjuvant chemotherapy
;
breast cancer
;
CMF
;
radiotherapy
;
tamoxifen
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract The first reported effective adjuvant combination regimen for patients withoperable breast cancer comprised oral cyclophosphamide (C) days 1–14with intravenous methotrexate (M) and fluorouracil (F) on days 1 and 8,repeated every 28 days (’classical‘ CMF). These drugs have since beenextensively used with or without endocrine therapies and/or other cytotoxics,as well as with radiation therapy to the chest wall yielding conflictingresults. Although doses and schedules have varied widely, the combination ofthese three drugs has been generically referred to as CMF. Evidence existsthat reducing the dose and/or altering the schedule of CMF (’modified‘ CMF)have compromised its efficacy in metastatic breast cancer. Reduction belowstandard dose of a similar regimen also gave inferior results in the adjuvantsetting. In fact, the recently reported improved outcome of adding radiationtherapy to CMF was only demonstrated in comparisons with a ’modified‘ CMF.Furthermore, trials in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer,which did not demonstrate any significant benefit for the addition of adjuvantCMF to tamoxifen compared with tamoxifen alone, also used ’modified‘ CMF.Therefore, adherence to the ’classical‘ dose and schedule is recommended whenCMF is used in adjuvant therapy.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008236502420
