INTENSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY WITH HIGH-DOSE EPIRUBICIN EVERY 2 WEEKS AND PROPHYLACTIC ADMINISTRATION OF FILGRASTIM IN ADVANCED BREAST-CANCER

50 women with advanced breast cancer were treated with an intensified regimen which consisted of high-dose epirubicin (110 mg/m(2)) every 2 weeks and filgrastim (5 mu g/kg) subcutaneously for 13 days, starting 24 h after chemotherapy. 44 patients completed all six cycles. The med ian interval between cycles of treatment was 14.3 days. The actually a dministered median dose per unit time per patient was 53 mg/m(2)/week, amounting to 97.2% of the dose prescribed by the protocol. 7 [14%, 95 % confidence interval (C.I.) 4-24%] patients achieved a complete and 2 5 (50%, 95% C.I. 36-64%) a partial response. Median time to progressio n was 32 weeks and median survival 64 weeks. Stomatitis and fever each occurred in 7 (14%) patients. Grade 3 haematological toxicity was obs erved in 6 (12%) patients. 1 (2%) patient developed grade 4 cardiac to xicity. This intensified regimen appears to be a well tolerated and ef fective treatment in advanced breast cancer.