Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide Compared With Epirubicin and Paclitaxel in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

Medical Research Council704 enrolled

Overview

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. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide with epirubicin and paclitaxel in treating women with metastatic breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the activity and toxicity of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide with that of epirubicin and paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to receive either epirubicin and cyclophosphamide or epirubicin and paclitaxel. Each drug combination is given every 3 weeks for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 704 patients will be accrued for this study.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Purpose

TREATMENT

Enrollment

704

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Interventions

cyclophosphamideDRUG

epirubicin hydrochlorideDRUG

paclitaxelDRUG

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALE

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven carcinoma of the breast with metastases No CNS metastases Hormone receptor status: Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Not specified Menopausal status: Not specified Sex: Female Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN (no greater than 5 times ULN with liver metastases) Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: Ejection fraction within normal range No history of cardiac disease including myocardial infarction, cardiac failure and angina Other: Not pregnant No prior or concurrent malignancy that is likely to interfere with protocol treatments or comparisons PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy other than adjuvant No prior high dose adjuvant chemotherapy requiring transplantation Cumulative dose of doxorubicin no greater than 300 mg/m2 permitted Cumulative dose of epirubicin no greater than 400 mg/m2 permitted At least 6 months since prior anthracyclines Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: Not specified

Locations (19)

Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa

University Birmingham

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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