Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Women With Stage II or Stage III Breast Cancer

Epirubicin Plus Paclitaxel Versus Cyclophosphamide, Epirubicin and 5-Fluorouracil as Adjuvant Treatment of Node Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Controlled Randomized Phase III Study

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

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of two regimens of combination chemotherapy in treating women who have stage II or stage III breast cancer.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare overall survival and disease free survival after adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin plus paclitaxel versus cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil in women with stage IIA, IIB, or III breast cancer. II. Compare quality of life in these women with these treatment regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms within 35 days of surgery. Arm I: Patients receive epirubicin IV followed by paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses. Arm II: Patients receive cyclophosphamide IV, epirubicin IV, and fluorouracil IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 6 courses. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who are postmenopausal, or premenopausal and hormone receptor positive, receive tamoxifen orally once a day for 5 years starting on day 1. Patients receive radiotherapy to residual breast after 4 courses of chemotherapy. Quality of life is assessed. Patients are followed every 3 months for 3 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 1,000 patients will be accrued for this study over 5 years.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

1000

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Alba, Italy, 12051
        • Ospedale San Lazzaro
      • Asti, Italy, 14100
        • Ospedale Civile di Asti
      • Cagliari, Italy, 09124
        • Ospedale Oncologico A. Businco
      • Casale Monferato, Italy, 1-15033
        • Santo Spirito Hospital
      • Cuneo, Italy, 12100
        • Ospedale Santa Croce
      • Genoa, Italy, 16132
        • Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro
      • Genoa, Italy, 16128
        • Ospedale Galliera Oncologia
      • La Spezia, Italy, 19100
        • Ospendale S. Andrea EST
      • Livorno, Italy, 57121
        • Ospedale Civile di Livorno
      • Mantova, Italy, 46100
        • Carlo Poma Hospital
      • Merate, Italy, 22055
        • Azienda USSL NO 8
      • Milan, Italy, 20132
        • Instituto Scientifico H.S. Raffaele
      • Moncalieri, Italy, 10024
        • Ospedale Santa Croce
      • Pavia, Italy, 27100
        • I.R.C.C.S. Policlinico San Matteo
      • Pisa, Italy, 56100
        • Ospedale St. Santa Chiara
      • San Remo, Italy, 18038
        • USL NO 1
      • Sassari, Italy, 07100
        • Azienda U.S.L. 1 - Sassari
      • Savona, Italy, 17100
        • Ospedale S. Paolo
      • Sestri Lev., Italy, 16039
        • Osp. Civile USL 18
      • Torino, Italy, 10128
        • Ospedale Mauriziano Umberto I
      • Torino, Italy, 10100
        • Ospedale Sant Anna
      • Torino, Italy, 10125
        • Ospedale Evangelico Valdese
      • Torino, Italy, 10126
        • OIRM - Sant Anna
      • Trieste, Italy, 34100
        • Ospedale Maggiore dell' Universita
      • Turin, Italy, 10126
        • Ospedale Molinette

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 70 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed stage IIA, IIB, or III breast cancer treated with radical surgery (e.g., mastectomy, quadrantectomy, tumorectomy) and axillary lymph node dissection Positive axillary lymph nodes No more than 9 metastatic lymph nodes No distant metastases or local or locoregional disease No more than 5 weeks between surgery and beginning of study Hormone receptor status: Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 70 and under Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: ECOG 0 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma glutamyltransferase no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: No heart disease that precludes use of anthracyclines (i.e., myocardial infarction, uncontrolled angina pectoris, uncontrolled arrhythmias, or valve disease) Other: No concurrent pathology that precludes use of antineoplastic drugs No mental retardation or psychiatric disease that precludes study No other current or prior malignancy within the past 10 years except squamous or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: No prior antineoplastic hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: No postoperative radiotherapy except to residual breast Surgery: See Disease Characteristics

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Riccardo Rosso, MD, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

June 1, 2000

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 2, 2000

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2004

First Posted (Estimate)

May 20, 2004

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

December 18, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 17, 2013

Last Verified

June 1, 2007

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Breast Cancer

Clinical Trials on cyclophosphamide

Subscribe