Effect of Preoperative Chemotherapy on Axillary Lymph Node Metastases in Stage II Breast Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Trial

A prospective randomized trial evaluating the effect of preoperative dose intense chemotherapy (FLAC/G-CSF) on axillary lymph node metastases in women with clinical stage II (T1N1, T2N0, T2N1) breast cancer. Patients will be randomized to receive 5 cycles of combination chemotherapy (5-FU, adriamycin, leucovorin, cytoxan, G-CSF) either as initial therapy (preoperative) or postoperatively after local therapy (modified radical mastectomy or lumpectomy/axillary lymph node dissection/whole breast radiotherapy). Each chemotherapy cycle will be 21 days. At the time of local therapy the incidence of axillary metastases in the axillary dissection specimen will be determined and compared in the preoperative chemotherapy vs. postoperative chemotherapy treatment groups.