[Clinical evaluation of adriamycin for advanced breast cancer (3)--a joint study by 26 institutes on the CAF and CMcF treatment].

The clinical efficacy of two combination chemotherapies, "CAF" (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, fluorouracil) and "CMcF" (cyclophosphamide, mitomycin C, fluorouracil) were evaluated on the patients with disseminated breast cancer. Two dosage levels were prepared for each combination. After the investigators decided the dosage levels for the patients, patients were assigned to either combination chemotherapy, CAF or CMcF. Among those patients, 138 cases were evaluable. The objective response rates according to "Assessment Criteria of Therapeutic Effects on Advanced or Recurrent Breast Cancer" by Japan Breast Cancer Society were as follows; High dose schedule: CAF 48.4% (15/31) CMcF 40.9% (9/22) Low dose schedule: CAF 31.7% (13/41) CMcF 15.9% (7/44) In both dosage levels, CAF produced higher response rate than CMcF: The toxicities commonly encountered in all treatment groups were anorexia, nausea and vomiting, as well as leucopenia. Alopecia in CAF and thrombocytopenia in CMcF were characteristic side effects.