Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of combination neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and pharmorubicin in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer.
Methods: From June 2005 to March 2007, 94 breast cancer patients who have been pathologically confirmed by core needle biopsy were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before operation. Docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) plus pharmorubicin 80 mg/m(2) were administered as intravenous infusion on the first day of each 3-week cycle. Accepted 2 to 4 cycles of the treatment, the patients were underwent surgery after 12 to 16 days.
Results: The overall response rate (RR) was 80% (76/94). The complete clinical response rate (CR) was 22% (21/94). The partial response rate (PR) was 58% (55/94). The stable disease (SD) rate was 17% (16/94). The progress disease (PD) rate was 2% (2/94). The pathological complete rate (pCR) was 3% (3/94). The major toxic reactions of the therapy were neutropenia, alopecia, nausea and vomit. 76 patients (80%) suffered with grade 3 to 4 neutropenia. 4 patients suffered with grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia. 84 patients suffered with severe alopecia. 90 patients (95%) accepted supportive treatment of G-CSF. Septicemia and death were not occurred in this study.
Conclusion: The combination neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and pharmorubicin is an effective method to treat breast cancer and the toxicities are tolerable.