Abstract
Background: Despite the advances in breast cancer care, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) has a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with thiotepa, mitoxantrone and carboplatin (TMJ regimen) in women with TNM stage IIIB IBC. Patients and Methods: Between 1991 and 1998, twenty-eight patients with stage IIIB IBC underwent an autologous stem cell transplant after undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation. Stem cells were collected from the bone marrow and periphery after mobilization with growth factors. Patients received thiotepa 250 mg/m2 once daily i.v. for 3 days, mitoxantrone 40 mg/m2 for 1 day and carboplatin 333 mg/m2 once daily i.v. for 3 days as the conditioning regimen for the HDCT. Radiation therapy and tamoxifen was offered to patients post HDCT if appropriate. Progression-free survival and overall survival was assessed over a 15-year period. Results: At the time of last follow-up in May, 2007, sixteen patients had relapsed. The median overall survival was 49.5 months. The median progression free survival was 40 months. There were no transplant-related deaths. Mucositis and infections were the major side-effects. These results show that HDCT with the TMJ regimen is safe and effective in patients with stage IIIB IBC.
- Inflammatory breast cancer
- chemotherapy
- autologous stem cell transplant
- thiotepa
- mitoxantrone
- carboplatin
Footnotes
- Received June 17, 2008.
- Revision received July 27, 2008.
- Accepted August 11, 2008.
- Copyright© 2008 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved