[Induction chemotherapy in high risk breast cancer. Results of a prospective therapeutic study (author's transl)].

The action of an induction chemotherapy was studied in 54 patients with extensive localized tumour. An association of doxorubicin (adriamycin), vincristine and methotrexate were used in five days courses every three weeks. Three to four courses were applied before radiotherapy (minimum of two months of treatment). This chemotherapy gave very good immediate objective responses (87% of the cases), especially for breast tumors which follow an acute course. No adverse effects on the later sequences of the treatment program were observed. The follow up period is too short to establish long term efficacy. Nevertheless, it now seems of value to apply the chemotherapy from the onset of the disease: on one hand it represents a preparatory factor which is probably useful in reinforcing the action of loco-regional treatment; on the other hand it represents the first treatment for these high risk breast cancers, whose prognosis is mainly determined by metastasis.