Surgical adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a comparison of CMF and CAF regimens

Combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) was compared with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and fluorouracil (CAF) as adjuvant to modified radical mastectomy in primary operable breast cancer with positive axillary lymph nodes. After 18 months of study, treatment failure occurred in 10% patients in each group. The new clinical manifestations occurred locally in 75% and at distant site in 25% of relapsed patients. Long term chemotherapy produced an acceptable toxicity, thus allowing the administration of a high percentage of drug dosage. This study suggests that CMF and CAF regimens have comparable efficacy and toxicity in surgical adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.