The follow up study of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with local vein blocking as a surgical neo-adjuvant treatment for locally advanced breast cancer

Preoperative intra-arterial infusion neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, in combination with local vein blocking, was administered to thirtyone patients with locally advanced stage III breast cancer. The anti-cancer drugs and dosages used were 500 mg of 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), which was infused daily for 7–14 days, and 20 mg of Adriamycin (ADM), which was administered as a bolus dose twice into the subclavian and internal mammary arteries. The response rate of this method on the primary tumor was 48.4 per cent, and, histologically it was found to be as high as 90.3 per cent. The response rate of the clinical effects on the regional lymph nodes was 50.0 per cent, however, histologically, it was found to be lower than that of the primary tumor. In the long-term follow up study the 5-year survival rate was 72.2 per cent. Thus, this method seems to be effective as a combined modality in cases of locally advanced stage III breast cancer.