[Has current adjuvant cytostatic therapy in radically operated breast cancer patients failed?]

Ten years ago the first adjuvant study with combination chemotherapy for radically mastectomized mammary carcinoma patients was implemented. The results today show that 12 months' treatment with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil does not prolong survival. In the group of premenopausal women with 1 to 3 histologically positive axillary lymph nodes a lengthening of the time to relapse was observed (in 20% of the patients), but with no prolongation of survival. In the light of these results the ongoing Swiss trials should be reevaluated.