Chemoimmunotherapy with or without oophorectomy in premenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer

Hwee‐Yong ‐Y Yap, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, George R. Blumenschein, Charles K. Tashima, Aman U. Buzdar, Allan N. Krutchik, Robert S. Benjamin, Jordan U. Gutterman, Gerald P. Bodey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ninety‐eight premenopausal patients with stage IV breast cancer were treated with chemoimmunotherapy alone, or with combination oophorectomy – chemoimmunotherapy either simultaneously (chemoimmunotherapy within four weeks of oophorectomy) or sequentially (delayed chemoimmunotherapy until evidence of progressive disease or no response to oophorectomy). The chemoimmunotherapy consisted of a three‐drug combination of Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and 5‐fluorouracil or Ftorafur; immunotherapy consisted of either oral levamisole, BCG by scarification, or a combination of both. Forty patients underwent simultaneous oophorectomy–chemoimmunotherapy, with a response rate of 85% and a median duration of response of 25 months. Response rate of 69% and a median duration of response of 16.6 months was observed with the 29 patients who received sequential oophorectomy–chemoimmunotherapy. Another 29 patients were treated with chemoimmunotherapy alone and achieved a response rate of 87% and a median duration of response of 11.8 months. Though there were no significant differences in the response rate, patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy alone had a significantly shorter median duration of response (P < 0.05). This would suggest that oophorectomy in combination with chemoimmunotherapy is the most favorable treatment modality for premenopausal patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)333-341
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Surgical Oncology
Volume12
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1979
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • combined chemoimmunotherapy for breast cancer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery
  • Oncology

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