CHEMOTHERAPY IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INITIAL THERAPY FOR INFECTED MALIGNANT BREAST AND CHEST-WALL ULCERS

Background and Objectives: Locally advanced breast cancers may form la rge, infected skin ulcers, which were traditionally treated with radia tion therapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is now standard treatment for l ocally advanced breast cancer. Methods: The response of 33 patients wi th ulcerated breast cancer to primary chemotherapy was retrospectively analyzed. Antibiotics were not used in primary treatment. Tumor and u lcer responses were evaluated independently. Results: Chemotherapy alo ne healed 18 of these ulcers. Neither responding nor refractory patien ts developed sepsis during this treatment. Conclusions: Chemotherapy i s safe and effective treatment for patients with infected malignant br east ulcers and does not cause systemic sepsis. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, I nc.