1. ¹Oncology Department R, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
2. ²Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 København Ø, Denmark
3. ³Department of Oncology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University, Hobrovej 18-22, PO Box 365, DK-9100 Aalborg, Denmark

Correspondence: Dr S Cold, E-mail: soeren.cold@ouh.fyns-amt.dk

Received 25 April 2005; Revised 1 July 2005; Accepted 6 July 2005; Published online 30 August 2005.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on survival of delaying the start of adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer for up to 3 months after surgery. In the nation-wide clinical trials of the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, 7501 breast cancer patients received chemotherapy within 3 months of surgery between 1977 and 1999: 352 with classical cyclofosfamide, metotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF); 6065 with CMF i.v. and 1084 with cyclofosfamide, epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil. For the analysis, the time between surgery and the start of chemotherapy was divided into four strata (1–3, 4, 5 and 6–13 weeks). The results show that within the three groups of chemotherapy, there was an even distribution of known prognostic factors across the four strata of initiation of chemotherapy. There was no pattern indicating a benefit from early start of chemotherapy. No significant interactions were found for subgroups of patients with a poorer prognosis (many involved lymph nodes, high-grade malignancies or hormone receptor negative disease). In conclusion, we have found no evidence for a survival benefit due to early initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy within the first 2–3 months after surgery.