Phase II study of alternating cytoreductive and cycle-active combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Nineteen females with metastatic breast cancer (73% with visceral disease) treated with cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil (CAF) cytoreduction followed by, and then alternated with, an intensive "cycle-active" regimen were evaluable. Sixteen of the 19 (84%) patients responded to CAF prior to initiation of the cycle-active regimen, and median remission duration for CAF responders was 50 weeks. The regimen was tolerable and the remission rates and durations were at least as good as those seen with CAF alone. This regimen is now being compared with CAF in a randomized trial of the Southeastern Cancer Study Group.