Clinical Comparison on the Safety and Efficacy of Fluorouracil/Pirarubicin/Cyclophosphamide (FPC) with Fluorouracil/Epirubicin/Cyclophosphamide (FEC) as Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Abstract

<br/><b>Objective</b>: To compare the safety and efficacy of a combination of 5-Fu, pirarubicin and CTX (FPC) withFEC as a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. <br/><b>Methods</b>: A total of 655 breast cancer patientswere treated postoperatively in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Research Institute from 1995-2005, 292 were treatedwith FPC (5-Fu 500mg/m2 iv gtt on day 1, pirarubicin 40mg/m2 iv on day 1, CTX 500mg/m2 iv on day 1 and acycle repeated every 21-28 days for totally 4-6 cycles); 363 with FEC (5-Fu 500mg/m2 iv gtt on day 1, epirubicin50mg/m2 iv on day 1 and day 2, CTX 500mg/m2 iv on day 1 and a cycle repeated every 21-28 days for totally4-6 cycles). Toxicity was evaluated after each cycle of chemotherapy. <br/><b>Results</b>: Main side effects in both FPC andFEC groups were leukopenia and gastrointestinal toxicity, with a 5 year survival rate 88.7% in FPC and 85.7%in FEC group. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: FPC regimen is safe with superior long-term survival rate when compared withFEC, thus could be recommended as a postoperative chemotherapy regimen for Chinese patients with breastcancer.