Chemotherapy dose-intensification in breast cancer : is more better?

With dose-intensification the quantity of administered chemotherapy is increased per time unit to achieve the best possible anti-tumour effect. This dissertation describes three methods of dose-intensification in breast cancer patients: 1/ standard dosage of chemotherapy where the cure interval is shortened (densification), 2/ standard cure interval where the dosage of the chemotherapy is increased (dose-escalation) and 3/ high dose chemotherapy with autologous (own) bone marrow transplantation (AuBMT). Compared to dose-escalation, densification results in a higher dose-intensity, a shorter total duration of treatment, a more favourable side-effect profile, a lower total dose of chemotherapy, and an equivalent anti-tumour effect. The results of high dose chemotherapy with AuBMT were disappointing. A study into the use of bone marrow transplantation (of sister or brother) as an anti-tumour treatment of metastasized breast cancer shows that this technique is applicable, but the effectiveness is for now limited.