Evaluation of efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel in patients with locally advanced and large operable breast cancer

11593 Background: Taxanes have been shown to induce high pathologic response rates in patients with early breast cancer. We studied the use of single agent weekly paclitaxel as anterior chemotherapy in large operable (tumour size >5 cm) breast cancer (LOBC) and locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Methods: In this prospective study, we enrolled women above 18 years with T3–4 any N and N2- 3 any T with nonmetastatic disease. Patients with inadequate organ function were excluded. Tumor size was documented at baseline and after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After diagnostic biopsy, patients were given paclitaxel (100 mg/m2) weekly for 8 weeks. This was followed by breast conservative surgery or mastectomy (as per surgeon’s discretion) and adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of FEC (5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2, epirubicin 90 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2), radiotherapy and hormone therapy (if indicated). The primary objectives included assessment of clinical and pathologic response after primary ...