Initial immunochemotherapy in inflammatory carcinomas of the breast. Preliminary results of a trials in 9 patients (author's transl)

• Published in: La Nouvelle presse medicale Vol. 8; no. 10; p. 755
• Main Authors: Zylberberg, B, Amiel, J P, Jamain, B, Pouillart, P, Ravina, J H, Salat-Baroux, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 03-03-1979
• Subjects: Adult; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; BCG Vaccine - therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms - complications; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Clinical Trials as Topic; Female; Humans; Mastitis - etiology; Mastitis - therapy; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Pregnancy; Remission, Spontaneous; Thermography
• ISSN: 0301-1518

Traditional treatments have proved to be of little effect on inflammatory carcinomas of the breast. The later show a tendency to early metastases and the mean survival is less than 19 months. The preliminary results of the therapeutic protocol reported here and whose originality lies in the primary use of non-specific immunotherapy and of high-dosage chemotherapy appear to be very favourable. The protocol was used in 9 patients. "Thermographic cooling" was taken as the criterion of operability. Initial chemotherapy was restarted after surgery up to a total of 10 courses, and followed by maintenance chemotherapy for one year. Immunotherapy using BCG was routinely associated with the antimitotic agents. After 41 months, the results were as follows: -- local recurrence after tumorectomy in 2 patients (18th and 31st months); these recurrences were controlled by cobalt. -- the other 7 patients show no sign of recurrence. These 9 patients are presently in complete remission.