Salvage treatment of patients relapsing after breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy.

We analyzed the efficacy of salvage therapy with systemic agents in 33 women who initially received adjuvant chemotherapy with Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (AC) for early breast cancer. Relapses occurred at a median of 9 months after completion of adjuvant therapy, and six patients relapsed while receiving adjuvant treatment. Nonetheless, salvage treatment produced objective responses in three of ten patients (30%) receiving hormonal therapy alone, in five of 11 (45%) receiving AC plus hormonal therapy, and in none of 12 receiving cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (P < 0.05). Survival from the time of relapse from adjuvant chemotherapy was superior for patients receiving hormonal therapy with or without AC chemotherapy compared to that of patients receiving cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (P < 0.05), and the median survival time of responders is > 12 months. On the basis of these findings, we believe that patients relapsing after adjuvant chemotherapy should receive aggressive treatment employing Adriamycin combination chemotherapy along with hormonal therapy.