Adding high dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation to standard chemotherapy does not improve survival in breast cancer.

During the 1990s, it was widely believed that high dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant could bring some benefit in breast cancer. A study now reported by researchers at Northwestern University and others suggests this is not the case.

A group of 500 women with primary breast cancer and lymph node involvement were given conventional chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide., doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil with, or without, additional high dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. There were no differences between the two groups in either overall survival or disease-free survival. For bone marrow transplant, the toxic side effects more than outweighed its potential benefits.

The researchers say it would now be best to concentrate on exciting new drugs coming up for the treatment of breast cancer, rather than pin any hopes on high dose old style chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.

Source

New England Journal of Medicine 3rd July 2003