A Three-Arm Randomized Trial to Compare Adjuvant Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide Followed by Taxotere (AC-T); Adriamycin and Taxotere (AT); and Adriamycin, Taxotere, and Cyclophosphamide (ATC) in Breast Cancer Patients With Positive Axillary Lymph Nodes

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the efficacy of adjuvant doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and docetaxel given concurrently vs adjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel, in terms of overall survival and disease-free survival, of women with breast cancer and positive axillary lymph nodes.
• Compare the efficacy of adjuvant doxorubicin and docetaxel vs regimens containing cyclophosphamide in these patients.
• Compare the toxic effects of these regimens in these patients.
• Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens. (Quality of life substudy closed to accrual as of 7/20/01.)
• Compare the differences in amenorrhea in premenopausal women in each treatment arm and its relationship to symptoms, quality of life (quality of life substudy closed to accrual as of 7/20/01), disease-free survival, and overall survival.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center, number of positive nodes (1-3 vs 4-9 vs at least 10), sequential tamoxifen or anastrozole administration (yes vs no), and type of prior surgery and radiotherapy plan (mastectomy with no local or regional radiotherapy vs mastectomy with local and/or regional radiotherapy vs lumpectomy with local radiotherapy vs lumpectomy with local and regional radiotherapy). Patients are randomized to one of three treatment arms.

• Arm 1: Patients receive doxorubicin IV over 15 minutes and cyclophosphamide IV over 30 minutes every 21 days for 4 courses. Three weeks after the last dose of this combination, patients receive docetaxel IV over 1 hour every 21 days for 4 courses.
• Arm 2: Patients receive doxorubicin IV over 15 minutes and docetaxel IV over 1 hour every 21 days for 4 courses.
• Arm 3: Patients receive doxorubicin IV over 15 minutes, cyclophosphamide IV over 30 minutes, and docetaxel IV over 1 hour every 21 days for 4 courses.

Patients in all arms who are estrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive receive oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years beginning within 3-12 weeks of completion of chemotherapy. Patients who are postmenopausal may receive alternative hormonal therapy at the discretion of the treating physician.