[Reduced-dose adjuvant CMF-chemotherapy combined with postoperative irradiation in breast cancer with lymphatic metastases. A prospective study of 45 patients].

From 1978 to 1982, 45 postoperative cases of breast cancer with lymphatic spread received radiation to the chestwall and axillary, supra- and infraclavicular lymph nodes up to 40 Gy. In addition, we gave 600 mg cyclophosphamide, 50 mg methotrexate and 750 mg 5-fluorouracil intravenously on day 1 of altogether nine 21-day cycles. The median follow-up is 37 months, and we calculate a 5-year over-all actuarial survival-rate which was 83% in the premenopausal and 77% in the postmenopausal patients. The disease-free 5-year survival-rate was 74% for the premenopausal and 61% for the postmenopausal women. There were twice as many patients with stage N2 in the postmenopausal group. No severe side-effects were observed. These promising preliminary results and the good tolerance of the above-mentioned combined therapy recommend it for future randomized studies.