Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Breast Cancer

A Randomized Phase III Trial of Sequential Chemotherapy Using Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide or Concurrent Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide Followed by Paclitaxel at 14 or 21 Day Intervals in Women With Node Positive Stage II/IIIA Breast Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving drugs at different times or combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which chemotherapy regimen is more effective for breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of chemotherapy consisting of either doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, or paclitaxel given at different times with that of combination chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel in treating women with stage II or stage IIIA breast cancer.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Breast Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: paclitaxel; Drug: cyclophosphamide; Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the sequential chemotherapy with doxorubicin, paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide to combined doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel for disease free and overall survival in women with node positive stage II or IIIA breast cancer. II. Determine whether increasing the dose density of adjuvant chemotherapy will improve disease free and overall survival. III. Compare the toxicity in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized into one of four arms (sequential chemotherapy every 2 weeks vs every 3 weeks vs concurrent chemotherapy followed by paclitaxel every 2 weeks vs every 3 weeks). All tumor should be removed by either a modified radical mastectomy or a segmental mastectomy plus axillary node dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy is started within 84 days following the last surgical procedure. Arm I: Patients receive sequential chemotherapy every 3 weeks. Doxorubicin IV is administered once every 3 weeks for 4 doses. Paclitaxel IV is then administered over 3 hours once every 3 weeks for 4 doses. Cyclophosphamide IV is administered once every 3 weeks for 4 doses following paclitaxel. Arm II: Patients receive sequential chemotherapy every 2 weeks. Doxorubicin IV is administered once every 2 weeks for 4 doses. Paclitaxel IV is then administered over 3 hours once every 2 weeks for 4 doses. Cyclophosphamide IV is administered once every 2 weeks for 4 doses following paclitaxel. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is administered by subcutaneous injection on days 3-10 after each dose of doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide. Arm III: Patients receive combination chemotherapy every 3 weeks. Combination doxorubicin IV and cyclophosphamide IV is administered once every 3 weeks for 4 doses. Paclitaxel IV is administered over 3 hours once every 3 weeks for 4 doses following combination chemotherapy. Arm IV: Patients receive combination chemotherapy every 2 weeks. Combination doxorubicin IV and cyclophosphamide IV is administered once every 2 weeks for 4 doses. Paclitaxel IV is administered over 3 hours once every 2 weeks for 4 doses following combination chemotherapy. G-CSF is administered by subcutaneous injection on days 3-10 after each dose of doxorubicin/cyclophophamide and after each dose of paclitaxel. After completion of all chemotherapy, patients receive tamoxifen orally for 5 years. Patients undergo radiotherapy 4-6 weeks after the completion of chemotherapy. Patients are followed every 6 months for 5 years, then annually until death.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 2,000 patients will be accrued for this study within 22 months.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 2005
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Saskatchewan
    • Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 6X3
      • Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
• United States
  • Arizona
    • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259-5404
      • CCOP - Scottsdale Oncology Program
  • Illinois
    • Peoria, Illinois, United States, 61602
      • CCOP - Illinois Oncology Research Association
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • CCOP - Carle Cancer Center
  • Iowa
    • Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, 52403-1206
      • CCOP - Cedar Rapids Oncology Project
    • Des Moines, Iowa, United States, 10309-1016
      • CCOP - Iowa Oncology Research Association
    • Sioux City, Iowa, United States, 51101-1733
      • Siouxland Hematology-Oncology
  • Louisiana
    • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70121
      • CCOP - Ochsner
  • Michigan
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48106
      • CCOP - Ann Arbor Regional
  • Minnesota
    • Duluth, Minnesota, United States, 55805
      • CCOP - Duluth
    • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
      • Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
    • Saint Cloud, Minnesota, United States, 56303
      • CentraCare Clinic
  • Nebraska
    • Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 68131
      • CCOP - Missouri Valley Cancer Consortium
  • North Dakota
    • Bismarck, North Dakota, United States, 58501
      • Quain & Ramstad Clinic, P.C.
    • Fargo, North Dakota, United States, 58122
      • CCOP - Merit Care Hospital
    • Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States, 58201
      • Altru Health Systems
  • Ohio
    • Toledo, Ohio, United States, 43623-3456
      • CCOP - Toledo Community Hospital Oncology Program
  • South Dakota
    • Rapid City, South Dakota, United States, 57709
      • Rapid City Regional Hospital
    • Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, 57105-1080
      • CCOP - Sioux Community Cancer Consortium

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

1. Required Tumor Parameters

   1.1 Patients with operable, histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the female breast and positive lymph nodes. Node positivity may be determined by either an axillary node dissection or a positive sentinel node finding by immunohistochemistry or histology. This includes any patient with one or more positive lymph nodes whose tumors are T0, T1, 2 or 3 and N1, N2, MO. Patients with metaplastic carcinoma are eligible. Bilateral disease does not exclude patients from entry.

   1.2 Tumors that are locally advanced at diagnosis are not eligible. This is left to investigator judgment. Patients with tumors fixed to the chest wall, peau d'orange skin changes, skin ulcerations, or clinical inflammatory changes (T4 disease) are excluded from this study. Dermal lymphatic involvement noted on pathology without clinical inflammatory changes will not exclude a patient from this study.

   1.3 Patients with any ERP/PgR status are eligible.

2. Prior treatment:

   2.1 <84 days from mastectomy or within 84 days of axillary dissection if the patient's most extensive breast surgery was a breast sparing procedure.

   2.2 Surgical resection margins - All tumor should be removed by either a modified radical mastectomy or a segmental mastectomy. Node dissection: patients may have had either an axillary node dissection or sentinel lymph node biopsy before beginning treatment on protocol.

   • Mastectomy: There should be no evidence of gross or microscopic tumor at the surgical resection margins noted in the final surgery or pathology reports for patients who have had a modified radical mastectomy. Patients with close margins (tumor < 1 mm from margin) are eligible.
   • Segmental mastectomy (lumpectomy): Although clear margins are preferable, DCIS or LCIS at the surgical resection margin will not render a patient who has undergone a segmental mastectomy ineligible for this study. Invasive tumor at the final resection margin will render a patient ineligible.

   2.3 No prior chemotherapy.

   2.4 No prior radiation therapy for this malignancy. Patients who received radiation to the breast for DCIS are eligible. Patients who have had segmental mastectomy will be treated with radiotherapy according to standard procedures in the treating physician's institution after completion of all chemotherapy. Patients who have had modified radical mastectomy may also receive radiotherapy at the discretion of the treating physician according to institutional guidelines.

   2.5 Patients may receive up to four weeks of tamoxifen therapy for this malignancy and still be eligible for study entry. Patients who received tamoxifen for purposes of chemoprevention (e.g., Breast Cancer Prevention Trial) or for other indications (including previous breast cancer) are eligible. Tamoxifen therapy should be discontinued before the patient is enrolled on this study.

3. Age > 18. There is no upper age limit for enrollment on this study.

4. Required initial laboratory data:

   • Granulocyte count > 1000/mm3
   • Platelet count > 100,000/mm3
   • Bilirubin within upper limits of normal

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sequential chemotherapy 21 days; Patients received doxorubicin 60 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for four cycles followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for four cycles followed by cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for four cycles.	Drug: paclitaxel; given IV; Drug: cyclophosphamide; given IV; Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride; given IV
Experimental: Concurrent chemotherapy 14 days; Patients received doxorubicin 60 mg/m^2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m^2 every 2 weeks for four cycles followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m^2 every 2 weeks for four cycles with filgrastim days 3 to 10 of each cycle at 5 µg/kg rounded to either 300 or 480 µg total dose.	Drug: paclitaxel; given IV; Drug: cyclophosphamide; given IV; Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride; given IV
Experimental: Sequential chemotherapy 14 days; Patients received doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 every 2 weeks for four cycles followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 2 weeks for four cycles followed by cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 every 2 weeks for four cycles, with filgrastim days 3 to 10 of each cycle (a total of seven doses) at 5 µg/kg, which could be rounded to either 300 or 480 µg total dose.	Drug: paclitaxel; given IV; Drug: cyclophosphamide; given IV; Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride; given IV
Experimental: Concurrent chemotherapy 21 days; Patients received doxorubicin 60 mg/m^2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for four cycles followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for four cycles.	Drug: paclitaxel; given IV; Drug: cyclophosphamide; given IV; Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride; given IV

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Disease free survival	4 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Investigators: Study Chair: Marc L. Citron, MD, ProHEALTH CARE Associates, LLP

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Berry DA, Cirrincione C, Henderson IC, Citron ML, Budman DR, Goldstein LJ, Martino S, Perez EA, Muss HB, Norton L, Hudis C, Winer EP. Estrogen-receptor status and outcomes of modern chemotherapy for patients with node-positive breast cancer. JAMA. 2006 Apr 12;295(14):1658-67. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.14.1658. Erratum In: JAMA. 2006 May 24;295(20):2356.
• Muss HB, Berry DA, Cirrincione C, Budman DR, Henderson IC, Citron ML, Norton L, Winer EP, Hudis CA; Cancer and Leukemia Group B Experience. Toxicity of older and younger patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive breast cancer: the Cancer and Leukemia Group B Experience. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Aug 20;25(24):3699-704. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.10.9710.
• Campone M, Fumoleau P, Bourbouloux E, Kerbrat P, Roche H. Taxanes in adjuvant breast cancer setting: which standard in Europe? Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2005 Sep;55(3):167-75. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2005.04.003.
• Orzano JA, Swain SM. Concepts and clinical trials of dose-dense chemotherapy for breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 2005 Dec;6(5):402-11. doi: 10.3816/CBC.2005.n.044.
• Berry DA, Cirrincione C, Henderson IC, et al.: Effects of improvements in chemotherapy on disease-free and overall survival of estrogen-receptor negative, node-positive breast cancer: 20-year experience of the CALGB U.S. Breast Intergroup. [Abstract] Breast Cancer Res Treat 88 (Suppl 1): A-29, 2004.
• Citron ML, Berry DA, Cirrincione C, et al.: Dose-dense (DD) AC followed by paclitaxel is associated with moderate, frequent anemia compared to sequential (S) and/or less DD treatment: update by CALGB on Breast Cancer Intergroup Trial C9741 with ECOG, SWOG, & NCCTG. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 23 (Suppl 16): A-620, 33s, 2005.
• Fornier M, Norton L. Dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy for primary breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2005;7(2):64-9. doi: 10.1186/bcr1007. Epub 2005 Feb 10.
• Hudis C, Citron M, Berry D, et al.: Five year follow-up of INT C9741: dose-dense (DD) chemotherapy (CRx) is safe and effective. [Abstract] Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 94 (Suppl 1): A-41, 2005.
• Schwartz J, Domchek SM, Hwang WT, Fox K. Evaluation of anemia, neutropenia and skin toxicities in standard or dose-dense doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC)-paclitaxel or docetaxel adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Ann Oncol. 2005 Feb;16(2):247-52. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdi058.
• Citron ML, Berry DA, Cirrincione C, Hudis C, Winer EP, Gradishar WJ, Davidson NE, Martino S, Livingston R, Ingle JN, Perez EA, Carpenter J, Hurd D, Holland JF, Smith BL, Sartor CI, Leung EH, Abrams J, Schilsky RL, Muss HB, Norton L. Randomized trial of dose-dense versus conventionally scheduled and sequential versus concurrent combination chemotherapy as postoperative adjuvant treatment of node-positive primary breast cancer: first report of Intergroup Trial C9741/Cancer and Leukemia Group B Trial 9741. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Apr 15;21(8):1431-9. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.09.081. Epub 2003 Feb 13. Erratum In: J Clin Oncol. 2003 Jun 1;21(11):2226.
• Citron M, Berry D, Cirrincione C, et al.: Superiority of dose-dense (DD) over conventional scheduling (CS) and equivalence of sequential (SC) vs. combination adjuvant chemotherapy (CC) for node-positive breast cancer (CALGB 9741, INT C9741). [Abstract] Breast Cancer Res Treat 76 (Suppl 1): A-15, 2002.

Helpful Links

• Data Available: Select individual patient-level data from this trial can be requested from the NCTN/NCORP Data Archive

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 1997
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2003
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2003

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 1999
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 3, 2004
• First Posted (Estimate): September 6, 2004

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 29, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 28, 2020
• Last Verified: April 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stage IIIA breast cancer; stage II breast cancer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Skin Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Breast Diseases; Breast Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antirheumatic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; Tubulin Modulators; Antimitotic Agents; Mitosis Modulators; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Alkylating Agents; Myeloablative Agonists; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; Topoisomerase Inhibitors; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Cyclophosphamide; Paclitaxel; Doxorubicin; Liposomal doxorubicin
• Other Study ID Numbers: CALGB-9741; U10CA031946 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); CDR0000065788 (Registry Identifier: NCI Physician Data Query)