Combination versus sequential five-drug chemotherapy in metastatic carcinoma of the breast.

Patients with metastatic or recurrent adenocarcinoma of the breast were randomized to weekly combination chemotherapy, intermittent combination chemotherapy, or single-drug chemotherapy administered sequentially. Patients receiving weekly combination therapy were more likely to respond than those receiving single-drug therapy (5-fluorouracil). The median survival for either group treated with combination therapy was double that of patients on sequential therapy. One-fourth of the patients had a prolonged survival (greater than 75 weeks), regardless of therapy.