[Combination chemotherapy in the treatment of polymetastic breast cancer. Comparison of therapeutic effects of 2 methods of sequential drug administration. Role of adriamycin in these combinations].

One thousand and twenty four patients with disseminated breast cancer were submitted to combination chemotherapy. Fifty one patients (group I) were sequentially given VCR, CPM and 5 FU, and seventy three patients (group II) were given ADM, VCR, CPM and 5 FU. The general and haematological tolerance was good and comparable in the both groups of patients: we observed only two severe infectious complications. Bonemarrow hypoplasia, six myocardial ischemia (two of them were lethal) in each group of patients, without any predominance in the group of patients treated with adriamycin. The percentage of objective regression in both groups was respectively: 72% and 71%. The mean duration of response was eight months. The median survival time was 420 days for patients of group I; for patients of group II the median is not obtained at 480 days. This study confirms that responders to chemotherapy significantly increase the mean duration of survival time. However, in this group of responders the presence of the liver metastases is worse prognosis than all other visceral metastases.