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Last Modified: 5/16/2007     First Published: 2/1/2001  
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Phase III Study of Adjuvant Epirubicin With or Without Docetaxel and Concurrent or Sequential Tamoxifen in Postmenopausal Women With Node-Positive Breast Cancer

Alternate Title
Basic Trial Information
Objectives
Entry Criteria
Expected Enrollment
Outcomes
Outline
Trial Contact Information
Registry Information

Alternate Title

Epirubicin and Tamoxifen With or Without Docetaxel in Treating Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer

Basic Trial Information

Phase
Type
Status
Age
Sponsor
Protocol IDs

Phase III


Treatment


Closed


Postmenopausal


Other


ICCG-C/14/96
EU-20040, NCT00010140

Objectives

  1. Compare the impact of adjuvant epirubicin with or without docetaxel and concurrent or sequential tamoxifen on time to relapse and overall survival in postmenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer.
  2. Compare the toxic effects of these regimens in this patient population.
  3. Compare the quality of life in terms of shift in long term toxicity and differences in recuperation in women treated with these regimens.
  4. Compare the incidence of thromboembolic events during the first 9 months of study and the influence of such events on compliance in women treated with these regimens.

Entry Criteria

Disease Characteristics:

  • Histologically proven node-positive breast cancer


  • Postmenopausal
    • Last menstrual period more than 12 months before initial surgery

      OR

    • Any age with prior bilateral oophorectomy

      OR

    • Age 50 or over with prior hysterectomy without oophorectomy (unrelated to malignancy)


  • No distant metastases


  • Hormone receptor status:
    • Not specified


Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

Biologic therapy:

  • Not specified

Chemotherapy:

  • Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

  • Not specified

Radiotherapy:

  • Not specified

Surgery:

  • See Disease Characteristics

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

  • See Disease Characteristics

Sex:

  • Female

Menopausal status:

  • See Disease Characteristics

Performance status:

  • WHO (ECOG) 0-1

Life expectancy:

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic:

  • WBC at least 3,000/mm3

    OR

  • Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
  • Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

  • Bilirubin normal
  • SGOT and SGPT no greater than 1.5 times normal
  • Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 1.5 times normal

Renal:

  • Creatinine less than 1.5 times normal

Cardiovascular:

  • No history of significant angina, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction within the past year
  • No clinically significant arrhythmias or uncontrolled hypertension
  • LVEF normal by MUGA, LV gated scan, or echocardiogram

Other:

  • No other concurrent serious illness
  • No other prior or concurrent malignancy except adequately treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

Expected Enrollment

A total of 800 patients will be accrued for this study.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome(s)

Disease-free survival
Overall survival
Incidence of thromboembolic events during the first 9 months after randomization

Secondary Outcome(s)

Tolerability
Quality of life

Outline

This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center. Patients are randomized to one of two adjuvant chemotherapy treatment arms within 30 days after surgery.

  • Arm I: Patients receive adjuvant epirubicin IV on days 1 and 8. Treatment continues every 28 days for 6 courses.


  • Arm II: Patients receive adjuvant epirubicin IV on days 1 and 8. Treatment continues every 28 days for 3 courses. Patients then receive docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment continues every 21 days for 3 courses.


Patients may be further randomized to one of two tamoxifen arms. Patients not randomized to the tamoxifen arms receive oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years concurrently with adjuvant chemotherapy.

  • Arm I: Patients receive tamoxifen as above concurrently with adjuvant chemotherapy.


  • Arm II: Patients receive sequential tamoxifen as above after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy.


Quality of life is assessed at baseline, 9 months, 2 years, and then at 5 years.

Patients are followed at 9 months, 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations

International Collaborative Cancer Group

R. Charles Coombes, MD, MRCP, FRCP, PhD, FMedSci, Protocol chair
Ph: 44-20-8383-5828

Registry Information
Official Title A Multicenter Randomized Trial of Sequential Epirubicin and Docetaxel Versus Epirubicin in Node Positive Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients
Trial Start Date 1997-08-01
Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00010140
Date Submitted to PDQ 2000-12-28
Information Last Verified 2005-09-27

Note: The purpose of most clinical trials listed in this database is to test new cancer treatments, or new methods of diagnosing, screening, or preventing cancer. Because all potentially harmful side effects are not known before a trial is conducted, dose and schedule modifications may be required for participants if they develop side effects from the treatment or test. The therapy or test described in this clinical trial is intended for use by clinical oncologists in carefully structured settings, and may not prove to be more effective than standard treatment. A responsible investigator associated with this clinical trial should be consulted before using this protocol.

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