Chemotherapy, Filgrastim, and Stem Cell Transplantation With Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Breast Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Colony-stimulating factors such as filgrastim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. Combining chemotherapy with autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of two regimens of chemotherapy and filgrastim plus stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have previously untreated stage III or stage IV breast cancer.

Timeline

Start

1999-10

Primary completion

2003-10

Completion

2003-10

Drugs

Indications