A PILOT-STUDY OF ACCELERATED CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE, EPIRUBICIN AND 5-FLUOROURACIL PLUS GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AS ADJUVANT THERAPYIN EARLY BREAST-CANCER

32 consecutive early breast cancer patients were treated to evaluate t he feasibility of an accelerated CEF regimen (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/ m(2), epirubicin 60 mg/m(2) and 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m(2)) given intr avenously every 2 weeks for six cycles together with granulocyte colon y stimulating factor, 5 mu g/kg/day subcutaneously from day 4 to day 1 1. One hundred and eighty two out of 192 planned cycles (95%) were adm inistered. Toxicity was mild: no cases of grade IV non-haematological toxicity and only one episode of grade IV granulocytopenia were observ ed. Delays or dose reductions of anti-neoplastic drugs occurred in 14 cycles (7.7%). The mean duration of six cycles of treatment was 71 day s (planned 70) and 93% of average planned dose intensity was actually administered. The short course CEF therapy is a feasible, well tolerat ed outpatient chemotherapy regimen, allowing a 46% increase in dose in tensity compared with a standard CEF regimen given every 3 weeks. A ra ndomised study comparing this regimen to a standard CEF regimen is now in progress in early breast cancer patients.