Patients with metastatic or recurrent adenocarcinoma of the breast were randomized to weekly combination chemotherapy, intermittent combination chemotherapy or single-drug chemotherapy administered sequentially. Patients receiving weekly combination therapy were more likely to respond than those receiving single-drug therapy (5-fluorouracil). The median survival for either group treated with combination therapy was double that of patients on sequential therapy. One-fourth of the patients had a prolonged survival (> 75 wk), regardless of therapy.