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Table 3 Clinical down-staging effects of the FEC and PE regimens on locally advanced breast cancer

From: Weekly taxane–anthracycline combination regimen versus tri-weekly anthracycline-based regimen for the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial

T stage

FEC arm [cases (%)]

P value

PE arm [cases (%)]

P value

Baseline

After NACT

Baseline

After NACT

Total

151

151

<0.001

142

142

<0.001

0

0 (0.00)

5 (3.31)

 

0 (0.00)

12 (8.45)

 

1

0 (0.00)

46 (30.46)

 

0 (0.00)

62 (43.66)

 

2

106 (70.20)

77 (50.99)

 

86 (60.65)

55 (38.73)

 

3

43 (28.48)

9 (6.62)

 

52 (36.62)

5 (3.52)

 

4

2 (1.32)

5 (2.65)

 

4 (2.82)

2 (1.41)

 

Missing

0 (0.00)

9a (5.96)

 

0 (0.00)

6b (4.23)

 
  1. FEC tri-weekly 5-fluorouracil–epirubicin–cyclophosphamide regimen, PE weekly paclitaxel–epirubicin regimen
  2. aOf the 9 patients, 2 had migrated to other cities and were not restaged, 5 declined further treatment and were not restaged, and 2 were lost to follow-up
  3. bOf the 6 patients, 5 declined further treatment and were not restaged, and 1 was lost to follow-up