New chemotherapy combo produces side effects, but no extra efficacy, in early breast cance...(which can be very painful if untreated. ...)

The scientists now intend to follow up their work by correlating the response at the time of surgery with the long-term outcomes for patients. Although it is the best indication we have at present, it is still uncertain whether pCR is a reliable predictor of long-term activity, said Professor von Minckwitz.

Given the lack of extra efficacy of adding capecitabine to docetaxel, and the additional toxicities that it produces, the scientists say that they would not recommend using it as preoperative treatment in early breast cancer. Prolongation of chemotherapy also has the effect of reducing patient compliance, so, given all these factors we would recommend staying with current standard treatments epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by a taxane, or TAC, another commonly used three-drug combination of docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, said Professor von Minckwitz.

'/>"/>