Efficacy and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FEC 100 followed by weekly paclitaxel for operable breast cancer.

Sequential administration of anthracyclin and taxane for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard treatment for operable breast cancer. The pathological complete response (pCR) is a significant predictor of overall survival (OS), regardless of treatment. In this study, the pCR rate was retrospectively examined and compared with the treatment efficacy and the characteristics of pCR patients were analyzed. A total of 54 female patients with operable breast cancer, treated with FEC 100 followed by weekly paclitaxel between December 2005 and May 2009 at the Osaka City University Hospital, Osaka, Japan, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 21 patients (39%) achieved pCR. The overall response rate was 91%. Only one patient had progressive disease. The pCR rate was significantly higher in those patients with estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative tumors and in those patients who completed the treatment course. An NAC regimen incorporating FEC 100 followed by weekly paclitaxel is effective for treating operable breast cancer.