ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT WITH NEOADJUVANT THERAPY ON PRIMARY BREAST-CANCER

Patients with invasive cancer of the breast (T1-4, NO-2, MO) were assi gned to pretreatment based on oestrogen receptor (ER) status; patients with ER-negative tumours received chemotherapy [mitozantrone, methotr exate and mitomycin C (MMM)] for 3 months, patients with ER-positive t umours underwent endocrine therapy [luteinising hormone releasing horm one (LHRH) agonist goserelin (leuprolide-premenopausal) or 4-hydroxyan drostenedione (formestane- post-menopausal)] for 3 months. Of the firs t 100 patients assessed at 3 months, 47 with ER-positive tumours had a 40.4% response premenopausal 53.8%; post-menopausal 35%) and 53 with ER-negative tumours had a 60% response (premenopausal 57%; post-menopa usal 63%). Patients with early breast cancer (T1/T2) had a complete cl inical resolution in 41% (16/39) of cases after MMM and in 20% (7/35) of cases following endocrine therapy compared with 14% (2/14) advanced tumours (T3/T4) following MMM and (0/12) following endocrine therapy. However, in those patients achieving a complete clinical response, su bsequent appropriate surgery showed that 16 of 19 patients (84%) had e vidence of residual viable tumour on histological examination.