Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

Combination chemoimmunotherapy of metastatic breast cancer with 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and BCG

  1. Gabriel N. Hortobagyi MD1,*,
  2. Jordan U. Gutterman MD2,
  3. George R. Blumenschein MD1,
  4. Charles K. Tashima MD1,
  5. Michael A. Burgess MD2,
  6. Lawrence Einhorn MD3,
  7. Aman U. Buzdar MD1,
  8. Stephen P. Richman MD2,
  9. Evan M. Hersh MD2

Article first published online: 28 JUN 2006

DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(197904)43:4<1225::AID-CNCR2820430410>3.0.CO;2-6

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 43, Issue 4, pages 1225–1233, April 1979

Additional Information

How to Cite

Hortobagyi, G. N., Gutterman, J. U., Blumenschein, G. R., Tashima, C. K., Burgess, M. A., Einhorn, L., Buzdar, A. U., Richman, S. P. and Hersh, E. M. (1979), Combination chemoimmunotherapy of metastatic breast cancer with 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and BCG. Cancer, 43: 1225–1233. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197904)43:4<1225::AID-CNCR2820430410>3.0.CO;2-6

Author Information

  1. 1

    Medical Breast Service, Department of Medicine, The University of Texas System Cancer Center, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas

  2. 2

    Department of Developmental Therapeutics, The University of Texas System Cancer Center, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas

  3. 3

    Department of Medicine, The University of Indiana, Indianapolis, Indiana

*Department of Medicine, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, 6723 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 JUN 2006
  2. Article first published online: 28 JUN 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 15 MAR 1978

Funded by

  • National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. Grant Numbers: NOI-CB-33888, 05831, 11520

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (657K)

Abstract

One hundred and five patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with 5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and BCG (FAC-BCG). The results were compared to those observed in a group of 44 patients treated with FAC chemotherapy alone. Although the overall response rates were similar (76% for FAC-BCG and 73% for FAC), the duration of remission was of 9 months for FAC and 14 months for FAC-BCG (p = 0.04). Similarly, survival of responding patients treated with FAC-BCG was significantly longer (24 months) than that observed in the chemotherapy alone treated group (15 months). There was no difference in survival or duration on study for nonresponders. Response rates were not influenced by dominant site of disease, menopausal status or disease-free interval. The duration of remission and survival, however, were significantly longer for patients with bone and soft tissue involvement than for patients with visceral metastasis. Similarly patients with 1 or 2 metastatic sites survived significantly longer than those with more than 3 organ sites involved (p = 0.02). This chemotherapeutic combination is highly effective in inducing remissions. In addition, nonspecific immunotherapy with BCG appears to prolong duration of remission and survival for responding patients.

Get PDF (657K)