[The chemotherapy of advanced breast cancer. A report on the first 600 cases in a cooperative programme to carry out a systematic study (1974-1977) (author's transl)].
The authors explain the objectives and the structure of a programme evolved for the methodic study of advanced breast cancers which they have worked out and carried out in cooperation with the departments of medicine in eight French anticancer centres. They analyse the initial phases, which correspond to the three first years of work. They give the state of the results that have been obtained in 603 patients using three protocols for treatment. These consisted of the administration in interrupted doses of chemotherapy which consisted of vincristine associated for the one part with cyclophosphamide and 5-fluoro-uracil and on the other hand with doxorubicine or/and with methotrexate. From this study there emerged the value of combined therapy using doxorubicine as much because of the frequency with which results better than 50% were obtained (in a randomised trial) as by their quality, which was made clear in an important series of 240 cases. They point out the conditions required to initiate the place of such a scheme in all complex therapy which aims as much at palliation as at cure, and point out how important it is to be methodical in the application of chemotherapy in order to ensure its development as an anticancer therapy.