Strengthening chemotherapy may not prevent relapses

Tue., Aug. 10, 2004

Linda Searing The Washington Post

The question: Breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes is more likely to recur. To reduce this risk, many women choose to undergo an intensified chemotherapy regimen. Does this work?

This study randomly assigned 605 women who had surgery for advanced breast cancer involving four or more lymph nodes to receive either conventional chemotherapy or a high-dose regimen that included a stem cell transplant. An average of five years later, survival rates were very similar: 62 percent for the high-dose group and 64 percent for the conventional group. Of those who got the higher dose, 57 percent had not relapsed, compared with 54 percent of the women who received conventional chemotherapy. Those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy sustained more toxic side effects but reported only slightly lower quality of life.

Who may be affected by these findings? Women with advanced breast cancer.

Caveats: The results could vary if different chemical agents were used or administered in a different order. The findings of this study conflict with those of earlier, non-randomized research.

Bottom line: Women with breast cancer may want to discuss expected outcomes with their doctors before deciding on a treatment strategy.

Find this study in the July 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute; abstract available online at http://jncicancerspectrum. oupjournals.org.

Learn more about breast cancer treatments at www.cancer.gov and www.cancer.org.

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