Neoadjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer: a prospective randomized study. Osaka Breast Cancer Study Group.

A prospective randomized study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was carried out on 73 patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Group A (n 26) received no neoadjuvant therapy, group B (n22) received intra-arterial infusions of epirubicin and group C (n25) received intravenous epirubicin. The regression of the primary tumor was significantly higher in group B than in group C (68.2 vs 36.0%, P < 0.05). The post-operative survival of responders to neoadjuvant therapy was better than that of non-responders. Side effects were milder in group B than in group C. There was, however, no difference among the three groups in terms of overall and disease-free survivals. Thus, neoadjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy was effective for achieving loco-regional control of locally advanced breast cancer with a low toxicity, but could not improve survival.