Immediate and long-term toxicity of adjuvant chemotherapy regimens containing doxorubicin in trials at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute.

Seven hundred and ninety-six consecutive patients with operable primary breast cancer treated with doxorubicin-containing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy between 1974 and 1982 were evaluated for assessment of the acute and long-term toxicities of the program. Most patients experienced nausea, vomiting, and alopecia, side effects that were totally reversible. Doxorubicin skin infiltration was observed in 6% of the patients. Hematologic toxicity was moderate, and only 26% of the patients had a granulocyte nadir of less than 1000 cells/ml. Febrile or infectious complications occurred in 6% of patients, of which 3% required hospitalization for observation and antibiotic treatment. No long-term hematologic changes were observed. Amenorrhea was reported by 80% of premenopausal patients. However, none of the patients under 30 years of age had menstrual abnormalities, whereas 96% of those 40-49 years of age developed amenorrhea. Amenorrhea was permanent for most women over 40, but for 50% of patients under 40 years of age, it was reversible. Endocrinologic studies showed that amenorrhea was a result of primary ovarian failure. The incidence of second malignant neoplasms was lower (1.3%) in the group treated with 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide than in the historical control group (4.8%). Cardiac toxicity data was evaluated in 460 patients. When up to a cumulative dose of 300 mg/m2 was given, 1% of the patients developed congestive heart failure. In 4 of these 5, adequate control was achieved with medical treatment; 1 patient died as a consequence of cardiac toxicity.