Simultaneous Study of Gemcitabine-Docetaxel Combination Adjuvant Treatment, as Well as Extended Bisphosphonate and Surveillance-Trial

Summary

This is an open-label, multicenter, 2x2 factorial design, randomized controlled, Phase III study comparing the disease free survival after randomisation in patients treated with 3 cycles of Epirubicin-Fluorouracil-Cyclophosphamide(FEC)-chemotherapy, followed by 3 cycles of Docetaxel(Doc)-chemotherapy versus 3 cycles of Epirubicin-Fluorouracil-Cyclophosphamide(FEC), followed by 3 cycles of Gemcitabine-Docetaxel(DocGemzar)-chemotherapy, and to compare the disease free survival after randomisation in patients treated with 2 years of Zoledronate versus 5 years of Zoledronate in patients with early primary breast cancer. Patients will be required to have histopathological proof of axillary lymph node metastases (pN1-3) or high risk node negative, defined as: 'pT≥2 or histopathological grade 3, or age ≤ 35 or negative hormone receptor', but are not allowed to have evidence of distant disease. Patients will have to be entered into the study no later than 6 weeks after complete resection of the primary tumor. No other antineoplastic treatment other than surgical treatment, the defined cytotoxic and endocrine treatment and radiotherapy will be allowed prior to study entry and during the course of the study. After surgery, leading to R0 resection of the invasive and intraductal components of the primary tumor, patients will be randomized to one of the following treatments: First randomization AA: 3 cycles of 5-Fluorouracil 500 mg/m² i.v. body surface area and Epirubicin 100 mg/m² i.v. and Cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m² i.v., (FEC100), each administered on day 1, repeated on day 22, subsequently followed by 3 cycles of Docetaxel 75 mg/m² body surface area i.v. (Doc), and Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m² i.v. (30 min infusion) (Gemzar), administered on day 1, followed by Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m² i.v. (30 min infusion) on day 8, repeated on day 22 AB: 3 cycles of 5-Fluorouracil 500 mg/m² i.v. body surface area and Epirubicin 100 mg/m² i.v. and Cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m² i.v., (FEC100), each administered on day 1, repeated on day 22, subsequently followed by 3 cycles of Docetaxel 100 mg/m² body surface area i.v. (Doc), administered on day 1, repeated on day 22 Second randomization B BA: Zoledronic acid 4 mg i.v., every 3 months for the duration of two years, subsequently followed by zoledronic acid 4 mg i.v., every 6 months for the duration of additional three years BB: Zoledronic acid 4 mg i.v., every 3 months for the duration of two years During the zoledronic acid treatment period, patients will receive 500 mg Calcium p.o. qid and 400 i.E. Vitamin D p.o. qid. Patients with positive hormone receptor status (≥ 10 % positively stained cells for estrogen and/or progesterone) of the primary tumor will receive Tamoxifen treatment 20 mg p.o. per day for 2 years, after the end of chemotherapy. Subsequent to chemotherapy, postmenopausal patients with positive hormone receptor status will be treated with Anastrozole (Arimidex®) 1 mg p.o. for additional 3 years, premenopausal patients will continue Tamoxifen treatment for additional 3 years. In addition to tamoxifen, all patients with positive hormone receptor status of the primary tumor and under the age of 40 or restart of menstrual bleeding within 6 months after the completion of cytostatic treatment or with premenopausal hormone levels as defined below will receive Goserelin (Zoladex®) 3.6 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks over a period of 2 years following chemotherapy. Premenopausal endocrine status will be assumed, if the following serum levels are met: Luteinizing hormone (LH) \< 20 mIE/ml, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) \< 20 mIE/ml and estradiol (E2) \> 20 pg/ml. Endocrine therapy will start after the end of chemotherapy. All patients with breast conserving therapy or more than 3 axillary lymph node metastases or in the following cases after mastectomy: * T3/T4-carcinoma * T2-carcinoma \> 3 cm * multicentric tumor growth * lymphangiosis carcinomatosa or vessel involvement * involvement of the pectoralis fascia or a safety margin \< 5 mm. will receive adjuvant radiotherapy.

Timeline

Start

2005-09

Primary completion

2013-09

Completion

2013-09

Publications

• Friedl TWP, Fehm T, Muller V, Lichtenegger W, Blohmer J, Lorenz R, Forstbauer H, Fink V, Bekes I, Huober J, Juckstock J, Schneeweiss A, Tesch H, Mahner S, Brucker SY, Heinrich G, Haberle L, Fasching PA, Beckmann MW, Coleman RE, Janni W, Rack B. Prognosis of Patients With Early Breast Cancer Receiving 5 Years vs 2 Years of Adjuvant Bisphosphonate Treatment: A Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Aug 1;7(8):1149-1157. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.1854.
• de Gregorio A, Haberle L, Fasching PA, Muller V, Schrader I, Lorenz R, Forstbauer H, Friedl TWP, Bauer E, de Gregorio N, Deniz M, Fink V, Bekes I, Andergassen U, Schneeweiss A, Tesch H, Mahner S, Brucker SY, Blohmer JU, Fehm TN, Heinrich G, Lato K, Beckmann MW, Rack B, Janni W. Gemcitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk early breast cancer-results from the randomized phase III SUCCESS-A trial. Breast Cancer Res. 2020 Oct 23;22(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s13058-020-01348-w.
• Deniz M, DeGregorio A, DeGregorio N, Bekes I, Widschwendter P, Schochter F, Ernst K, Scholz C, Bauer EC, Aivazova-Fuchs V, Weissenbacher T, Kost B, Jueckstock J, Andergassen U, Steidl J, Trapp E, Fasching PA, Haberle L, Beckmann MW, Schneeweiss A, Schrader I, Janni W, Rack B, Friedl TW. Differential prognostic relevance of patho-anatomical factors among different tumor-biological subsets of breast cancer: Results from the adjuvant SUCCESS A study. Breast. 2019 Apr;44:81-89. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2018.12.008. Epub 2018 Dec 20.
• Vilsmaier T, Rack B, Janni W, Jeschke U, Weissenbacher T; SUCCESS Study Group. Angiogenic cytokines and their influence on circulating tumour cells in sera of patients with the primary diagnosis of breast cancer before treatment. BMC Cancer. 2016 Jul 27;16:547. doi: 10.1186/s12885-016-2612-7.
• Jueckstock J, Rack B, Friedl TW, Scholz C, Steidl J, Trapp E, Tesch H, Forstbauer H, Lorenz R, Rezai M, Haberle L, Alunni-Fabbroni M, Schneeweiss A, Beckmann MW, Lichtenegger W, Fasching PA, Pantel K, Janni W; SUCCESS Study Group. Detection of circulating tumor cells using manually performed immunocytochemistry (MICC) does not correlate with outcome in patients with early breast cancer - Results of the German SUCCESS-A- trial. BMC Cancer. 2016 Jul 7;16:401. doi: 10.1186/s12885-016-2454-3.
• Widschwendter P, Friedl TW, Schwentner L, DeGregorio N, Jaeger B, Schramm A, Bekes I, Deniz M, Lato K, Weissenbacher T, Kost B, Andergassen U, Jueckstock J, Neugebauer J, Trapp E, Fasching PA, Beckmann MW, Schneeweiss A, Schrader I, Rack B, Janni W, Scholz C. The influence of obesity on survival in early, high-risk breast cancer: results from the randomized SUCCESS A trial. Breast Cancer Res. 2015 Sep 18;17(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s13058-015-0639-3.

Drugs

Indications