[Arterial regional chemotherapy of advanced breast cancer]

From October 1985 to November 1987, arterial regional chemotherapy with mitoxantrone was undertaken in 18 patients with primary far advanced carcinoma of the breast, of inflammatory or ulcerating type. Two patients had a bilateral carcinoma. Eight weeks after regional chemotherapy 18 of 20 tumours had become operable. Regression of tumour size by at least 50% (checked by mammography) was achieved in seven patients. Axillary lymphadenectomy gave negative results in 6 of 17 patients. Conversion of the receptor status occurred in only 2 of 12 patients. There were only few side effects: alopecia in 20%, leucopenia less than 2,500/microliters in 18%, thrombocytopenia less than 100,000/microliters in 7% patient. After a follow-up period of up to 28 months local recurrence was noted in two, distant metastases in three cases. A totally disease-free period was achieved in 14 patients.