A prospective study of adjuvant CMF in males with node positive breast cancer: 20-year follow-up

Purpose To determine the long-term overall survival of male patients with stage II node positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and methods Between 1974 and 1988, 31 male breast cancer patients were prospectively enrolled on study MB-82 in the National Cancer Institute. Following mastectomy, patients were treated with 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy. Results Median patient age was 61 years (38–74 years). Twenty-one patients (68%) had 1–3 positive axillary lymph nodes while ten patients (32%) had four or more positive nodes. Estrogen receptor status was positive in 22 (71%), negative in 1 (3%), and unknown in 8 (26%) tumors. Progesterone receptor status was positive in 18 (58%), negative in 3 (10%), and unknown in 10 (32%) tumors. Median potential follow-up for all patients is 22.5 years with a median survival of 16.3 years. Twenty-one of 31 patients have died; one from a treatment-related complication, nine patients from recurrent breast cancer, five from other cancers, one from non-cancer related causes, and five from unknown causes. Ten patients remain alive at a median of 19.2 years. The overall survival probability at 10 years is 64.5% (95% CI: 46.9–78.9%), at 15 years is 51.6% (95% CI: 34.8–68%), and at 20 years is 42.4% (95% CI: 25.8–60.8%). Conclusion To our knowledge, 20-year prospective data with adjuvant chemotherapy in male breast cancer has never been reported. Adjuvant chemotherapy may benefit male breast cancer patients with positive nodes. The U.S. Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.