[Cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and platinum (CAP) in the preoperative neoadjuvant phase and the therapy phase]

Forty-two patients with metastasized, and 7 patients with locally advanced forms of carcinoma of the breast were treated with a combination of three drugs: CTX 200-400 mg/sq.m. on days 1, 3 and 5, ADM 40 mg/sq.m. on day 1, and DDP 30 mg/sq.m. on days 1, 3 and 5 (CAP), every 21 days. The 42 patients with metastasized carcinoma had already received substantial pre-treatment by surgery and with adjuvant polychemotherapy +/- chemotherapy on recurrence +/- hormonotherapy +/- radiotherapy. The disease sites were: bone (30%), skin (19%), lymph nodes (13.5%), pleura (12.5%), lung (12%) and liver (11%). The 7 patients with locally advanced carcinoma had not been pre-treated; they received the same chemotherapy in the pre-operative neo-adjuvant phase. Positive responses to CAP in the cases with metastasized carcinoma according to individual disease sites (37 pre-treated patients assessable after at least two courses of therapy) were as follows in percentage terms: 24% bone lesions, 56% skin lesions, 77% lymph node lesions, 30% liver lesions, 56% lung lesions, 22% pleural lesions. 3/37 patients (8%) showed complete remission in all disease sites, while 6/37 showed partial remission. This percentage (8 + 16 = 24%) is encouraging, as CAP, in these patients, represents on average the 3rd to 4th line of therapy. Responses to neo-adjuvant CAP therapy (7 patients assessable after at least two courses of therapy) were as follows: 5 patients showed partial remission after 3-6 courses, 1 complete remission, and 1 objective improvement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)