Waiting for a Bus: Does It Explain Age-Dependent Differences in Response to Chemotherapy of Early Breast Cancer?

Abstract
Fisher et al.1 and Bonadonna et al.2 have recently updated two major randomized studies investigating the role of surgical adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. The former investigators used l-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM), and the latter a regimen combining cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF). Both trials had a control group treated with surgical resection of the breast alone. Although the follow-up time may be too short for firm conclusions on survival to be drawn, the data so far show that adjuvant chemotherapy delays recurrence for premenopausal patients. In contrast, the results of these studies do not indicate to date any advantage of . . .