Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer with positive axillary nodes designed according to estrogen receptor status.

This is a preliminary report of the Southwest Oncology Group--Adjuvant Therapy in Operative Breast Cancer with Positive Axillary Nodes--in which therapy is randomized by estrogen receptor (ER) data. ER--patients receive either 1 or 2 years of CMFVP. The ER + group receive CMFVP for 1 year and/or hormonal therapy. ER + patients have a significant longer disease-free interval compared to ER--patients (P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in disease-free interval for ER--patients who receive either 1 or 2 years of CMFVP. The data for ER + patients is too preliminary to report for disease-free or total survival. Toxicity is acceptable because of frequent monitoring and examinations which results in the low percentage of life-threatening toxicity.