Title: Study to Compare TAC versus FAC Regimen as Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancers
Authors: Sangita Narain, Smiti Narain, Varun Tiwari, Tanmay Prasad
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i2.60
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used to downstage the tumours in LABC making it amenable to resection. Docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC) and 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC) are used for Induction chemotherapy. The present study was done to compare the clinical and pathologic response of the two regimens.
Material and Methods: The study was performed in PMCH, Patna over a period of two years from July 2010 to June 2012 and then followed up for a period of five years in 126 patients randomized in two groups of TAC and FAC arms after which they all underwent a modified radical mastectomy. A follow up was done to study and compare the clinical response and toxicity in the two groups.
Results: Most common hematologic toxicity in both groups was neutropenia (33.87% and 23.43% in TAC and FAC arm respectively). TAC arm had better Disease-Free Survival (DFS) than FAC arm (64.28% vs 56.60% in stage IIIA in TAC and FAC arm respectively and 52.94% vs 44.11% in stage IIIB LABC in TAC and FAC arm respectively) at 5 years follow up.
Conclusion: TAC regimen used for neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancers has a better disease-free survival with lesser systemic toxicity as compared to FAC regimen.
Keywords: TAC regimen, FAC regimen, Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, LABC.
References
- Ward S, Simpson E, Davis S, Hind D, Rees A, Wilkinson A. Taxanes for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer: Systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2007;11:1 144.
- Low JA, Berman AW, Steinberg SM, Danforth DN, Lippman ME, Swain SM. Long-term follow-up for locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer patients treated with multimodality therapy. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:4067-74.
- Humphrey LL, Helfand M, Chan BK, Woolf SH. Breast cancer screening: A summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med 2002;137:347-60.
- Barnadas A. Neoadjuvant treatment in young women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2010; Sep 123 Suppl 1:35-8.
- Abulkhair O, Saghir N, Sedky L, Saadedin A, Elzahwary H, Siddiqui N, et al. Modification and implementation of NCCN guidelines on breast cancer in the Middle East and North Africa region. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2010;8:S8-S15.
- Therasse P, Arbuck SG, Eisenhauer EA, Wanders J, Kaplan RS, Rubinstein L, et al. New guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute of the United States, National Cancer Institute of Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92:205-16.
- Cox JD, Stetz J, Pajak TF. Toxicity Criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Int J Radial Oncol Biol Phys 1995; 31:1341-6.
- Chia S, Swain SM, Byrd DR, Mankoff DA. Locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:786-90.
- Wolmark N, Wang J, Mamounas E, Bryant J, Fisher B. Preoperative chemotherapy in patients with operable breast cancer: Nine-year results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-18. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2001;30:96-102.
- Chollet P, Amat S, Cure H, de Latour M, Le Bouedec G, Mouret-Reynier MA, et al. Prognostic significance of a complete pathological response after induction chemotherapy in operable breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2002;86:1041-6.
- Martin M, Villar A, Sole-Calvo A, Gonzalez R, Massuti B, Lizon J, et al. Doxorubicin in combination with fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide (i.v. FAC regimen, day 1, 21) versus methotrexate in combination with fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide (i.v. CMF regimen, day 1, 21) as adjuvant chemotherapy for operable breast cancer: A study by the GEICAM group. Ann Oncol 2003;14:833-42.
- Martin M, Pienkowski T, Mackey J, Pawlicki M, Guastalla JP, Weaver C, et al. Breast Cancer International Research Group 001 Investigators. Adjuvant docetaxel for node-positive breast cancer. N Engl J Med 2005;352:2302-13.
- Gianni L, Baselga J, Eiermann W, Guillem Porta V, Semiglazov V, Lluch A, et al. European Cooperative Trial in Operable Breast Cancer Study Group. Feasibility and tolerability of sequential doxorubicin/paclitaxel followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil and its effects on tumor response as preoperative therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2005;11:8715-21
- Henderson IC, Berry DA, Demetri GD, Cirrincione CT, Goldstein LJ, Martino S, et al. Improved outcomes from adding sequential Paclitaxel but not from escalating Doxorubicin dose in an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for patients with node-positive primary breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2003;21:976-83.
- Sparano JA, O'Neill A, Schaefer PL, Falkson CI, Wood WC. Phase II trial of doxorubicin and docetaxel plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in metastatic breast cancer: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E1196. J Clin Oncol 2000;18:2369-77.
- Evans TR, Yellowlees A, Foster E, Earl H, Cameron DA, Hutcheon AW, et al. Phase III randomized trial of doxorubicin and docetaxel versus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide as primary medical therapy in women with breast cancer: An Anglo-Celtic Cooperative Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:2988-95.
- Martin M, Segui MA, Anton A, Ruiz A, Ramos M, Adrover E, et al. Adjuvant docetaxel for high-risk, node-negative breast cancer. N Engl J Med 2010; 363:2200-10.
- Smith IC, Heys SD, Hutcheon AW, Miller ID, Payne S, Gilbert FJ, et al. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: Significantly enhanced response with docetaxel. J Clin Oncol 2002;20:1456-66.
- National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. The effect on primary tumour response of adding sequential taxotere to adriamycin and cyclophosphamide: Preliminary results from NSABP Protocol B-27. Breast Can Res Treat 2001;69(3):249, Abstract 5.
- Amat S, Bougnoux P, Penault-Llorca F, Fetissof F, Cure H, Kwiatkowski F, et al. Neoadjuvant docetaxel for operable breast cancer induces a high pathological response and breast conservation rate. Br J Cancer 2003;88:1339-45.
- Martin M, Lluch A, Segui MA, Ruiz A, Ramos M, Adrover E, et al. Toxicity and health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant docetaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (TAC) or 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC): Impact of adding primary prophylactic granulocyte-colony stimulating factor to the TAC regimen. Ann Oncol 2006;17:1205-12.
- Batra U, Bapsyu PP, Saini KV, Jain AK, Atilli AV, Lokanatha D, et at. To analyze the efficacy, tolerability, toxicity profile, quality of life and pharmaco-economics of adjutant TAC compared to FAC regimen in hormone receptor positive breast cancer with more than four involved lymph nodes. J Clin Oncol. ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings. 2007;25:11043
- Mamounas EP. NSABP breast cancer clinical trials: Recent results and future directions. Clin Med Res 2003;1:309-26.