Frequency of breast cancer with hereditary risk features in Spain: Analysis from GEICAM "El Álamo III" retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of breast cancer (BC) patients with hereditary risk features in a wide retrospective cohort of patients in Spain. METHODS: a retrospective analysis was conducted from 10,638 BC patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2001 in the GEICAM registry "El Álamo III", dividing them into four groups according to modified ESMO and SEOM hereditary cancer risk criteria: Sporadic breast cancer group (R0); Individual risk group (IR); Familial risk group (FR); Individual and familial risk group (IFR) with both individual and familial risk criteria. RESULTS: 7,641 patients were evaluable. Of them, 2,252 patients (29.5%) had at least one hereditary risk criteria, being subclassified in: FR 1.105 (14.5%), IR 970 (12.7%), IFR 177 (2.3%). There was a higher frequency of newly diagnosed metastatic patients in the IR group (5.1% vs 3.2%, p = 0.02). In contrast, in RO were lower proportion of big tumors (> T2) (43.8% vs 47.4%, p = 0.023), nodal involvement (43.4% vs 48.1%, p = 0.004) and lower histological grades (20.9% G3 for the R0 vs 29.8%) when compared to patients with any risk criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Almost three out of ten BC patients have at least one hereditary risk cancer feature that would warrant further genetic counseling. Patients with hereditary cancer risk seems to be diagnosed with worse prognosis factors.

Docetaxel plus epirubicin is a highly active, well-tolerated, first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: results of a large, multicentre phase II study.

PURPOSE: In this multicentre phase II study, the efficacy and safety profile of the combination of docetaxel and epirubicin as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) were evaluated. METHODS: Epirubicin (75 mg/m(2)) and docetaxel (75 mg/m(2)) were given intravenously once every 3 weeks for six cycles to 133 patients with MBC. RESULTS: The overall clinical response rate was 67% (complete and partial responses were 23% and 44%, respectively). The median time to progression was 10.8 months (95% CI 9.7-12.6) and the median overall survival was 19.5 months. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support was administered to 32% of patients and in 22% of cycles. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 35% of patients and febrile neutropenia in 19%. The most frequent grade 3/4 non-haematological toxicities (as percent of patients) were asthenia (6%), vomiting (5%) and nausea (5%). No patients developed congestive heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of docetaxel and epirubicin was highly active as first-line treatment for MBC and showed a manageable toxicity profile.