[Initial chemotherapy in the treatment of inflammatory breast cancers. 230 cases].

The results of 2 chemotherapeutic regimens used in 170 cases of inflammatory breast cancer were compared with those obtained in 60 historical controls treated with radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. Inflammatory breast cancers could be divided into evolutive phase 2 with limited signs of inflammation and evolutive phase 3 where inflammation involved the whole breast. The 60 controls had been treated between 1967 and 1974 with radiotherapy (45 Gy plus an extra dose of 20 or 30 Gy); premenopausal patients underwent ovarian irradiation. The 91 patients treated with regimen A between 1976 and 1980 received a DVM-type induction chemotherapy (doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 on day 1, vincristin 1 mg/m2 on day 2, and methotrexate 6 mg/m2 on days 3, 4, 5) every 3 or 4 weeks, and a VCF-type maintenance chemotherapy (vincristin 1 mg/m2 on day 1, cyclophosphamide 200 mg/m2 on days 2, 3, 4 and 5-fluorouracil 300 mg/m2 on days 2, 3, 4) every 4 weeks. Premenopausal patients had their ovaries irradiated; postmenopausal patients received tamoxifen. The therapeutic sequence was: 3 DVM - 45 Gy - DVM - 15 Gy - 4 DVM - 4-12 VCF. The 79 patients treated between 1980 and 1982 with regimen B received a DVCMF-type induction therapy (doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 on day 1, vincristin 0.6 mg/m2 on day 2, 5-fluorouracil 300 mg/m2 on days 3, 4, 5, cyclophosphamide 200 mg/m2 on days 3, 4, 5 and methotrexate 10 mg/m2 on days 3, 4, 5) every 4 weeks. Hormonal therapy was the same as with regimen A. The sequence was 3 DVCMF - 45 Gy - DVM - 20-25 Gy - 4 DVM - 4-12 VCF. The survival rate at 3 years was 42% in controls, 53% in regimen A patients and 74% in regimen B patients (P less than 0.05). The relapse-free survival rates in these three groups at 3 years were 15%, 32% and 54% respectively (P less than 0.0008). These results suggest that a multidisciplinary approach and initial chemotherapy are useful in this type of breast cancer. The value of prolonged maintenance treatment is discussed.