Patients With Breast Cancer: The International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial VII

Pumose: Information on the tolerability and efficacy of adiuvant chemoendocrine therapy for older women is limited. We studied these issues using the data collected as part of the International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial VII. Patients and Methods: Postmenopausal women with operable, node-positive breast cancer were ran-domized to receive either tamoxifen alone for 5 years (306 patients) or tamoxifen plus three consecutive cy-cles of classical cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m2 orally days 1 to 14), methotrexate (40 mg/rt ‘! 2 intravenous days 1 and 8), and fluorourocil (600 mg/m2 introve-nous days 1 and 8] every 28 days (CMF; 302 patients}. The median follow-up was 8.0 years. Results: Among the 299 patients who received at least one dose of CMF, women 65 years of age or older In= 76) had higher grades of toxicity compared with women less than 65 years old in= 223)(P=. 004).More women in the older …