Adjuvant Therapy for Node-Negative Breast Cancer

Allan S. Brett, MD, Director, Division of General Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Jan 1, 1998

Allan S. Brett, MD, Director, Division of General Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine

January 1, 1998

Allan S. Brett, MD, Director, Division of General Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine

January 1, 1998

In women with node-negative breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy confers a small improvement in survival, and adjuvant tamoxifen reduces the relapse rate for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive . . .

In women with node-negative breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy confers a small improvement in survival, and adjuvant tamoxifen reduces the relapse rate for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors. Therefore, researchers from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project assessed the combination of chemotherapy and tamoxifen in 2,306 patients with node-negative, ER-positive breast cancer.

The women were randomized to receive tamoxifen alone, tamoxifen plus methotrexate and fluorouracil (MFT), or these three drugs plus cyclophosphamide (CMFT). At five years, disease-free survival was significantly better with MFT (90%) and CMFT (89%) than with tamoxifen alone (85%). The two combined-therapy groups also had significantly higher overa…

Reviewing Author

Allan S. Brett, MD, Director, Division of General Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine