Outcome of Adjuvant 6 Cycles Chemotherapy versus 8 Cycles In Breast Cancer

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common site-specific cancer in women, the second most 
common cancer in the world, and is the leading cause of death from cancer for women aged 20 to 59 
years. Aim of the study: To compare the results of disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), 
and toxicity level on both arms of patient who received 3 cycles of Anthracyclines followed by 3 
cycles of Taxanes versus 4 cycles of Anthracyclines followed by 4 cycles of Taxanes. Patient and 
Method: A sample of 301 breast cancer patients of the oncology department of Suhag University 
Hospital, Suhag Cancer Center and clinical oncology clinic of Suhag Health Insurance participated in 
the study. Descriptive, significant tests and comparative statistical techniques were employed.
Results: 62% of patients were postmenopausal and 37% premenopausal.50.8% of patients received 6 
cycles chemotherapy and 49.2 % received 8 cycles Radiotherapy was administered to 99.3% patients 
and hormonal therapy was given to 87.4% patient. 18 cases of patients developed metastasis or 
locoregional recurrence. The 5yr OS of the whole patients is 92.2% and 91.9% for 6-cycles and 8-
cycles arms respectively with no significant effect of the number of chemotherapy cycles on OS with 
P-value 0.5. The 5yr DFS of the whole cohort of patients is 96.1%, 91.1% respectively, for 6 and 8-
cycles chemotherapy with no significant impact of the number of chemotherapy cycles and (P-value 
0.2). Conclusion: Eight cycles (4 taxanes and 4 anthracyclines) is not superior to 6 cycles (3 taxanes 
and 3 anthracyclines) as there is no statistical significance between both arm with increased incidence 
of toxicity with longer treatment duration.

Keywords

Main Subjects