Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, Cyclophosphamide, and Paclitaxel With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Lymph Node-Positive or High-Risk, Lymph Node-Negative Breast Cancer

Breast Adenocarcinoma

This randomized phase III trial studies doxorubicin hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel to see how well they work with or without bevacizumab in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (lymph node-positive) or cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes but is at high risk for returning (high-risk, lymph node-negative breast cancer). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of breast cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving chemotherapy after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery and help prevent the tumor from returning. It is not yet known whether doxorubicin hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel are more effective with or without bevacizumab.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the disease-free survival of patients (defined as invasive disease-free survival \[IFDS\]) with lymph node positive and high risk lymph node negative breast cancer randomized to treatment with either doxorubicin (doxorubicin hydrochloride)/cyclophosphamide plus placebo followed by paclitaxel (AC + placebo \> T + placebo) or the same chemotherapy regimen plus bevacizumab. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare short-term (20-24 weeks) versus long-term (50-54 weeks) bevacizumab therapy. II. To compare the overall survival. III. To evaluate toxicity. IV. To evaluate the association between outcomes in E5103 (disease-free survival, overall survival and toxicities) and genotype (derived from candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms and genome wide evaluations). V. To compare the quality of life of breast cancer patients treated with AC/paclitaxel and bevacizumab or placebo, in terms of physical symptoms, physical functioning, psychological state and social functioning over an 18 month period. VI. To determine the impact of theoretical biomarker information on patients' willingness to accept the toxicities of bevacizumab for the estimated potential benefit. VII. To create a biospecimen repository including plasma, serum and CellSearch cassettes containing circulating tumor cells (CTC) for evaluating determinants of late relapse, including candidate biomarkers reflecting occult tumor burden (e.g., CTCs and plasma tumor deoxyribonucleic acid \[DNA\]) and host factors (e.g., estrogen, insulin-insulin-like growth factor \[IGF\] axis, inflammation, etc). VIII. To create a biorepository of metastatic tumor samples in patients who have had a late relapse. IX. To determine body mass index (BMI) and comorbidity burden in patients with operable breast cancer five or more years after diagnosis. X. To determine whether there is a relationship between late relapse and BMI at diagnosis and at 5 years after diagnosis, and whether BMI-associated inflammatory and/or metabolic biomarkers are associated with early and late recurrence. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride intravenously (IV), cyclophosphamide IV over 20-30 minutes, and placebo IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 2 or 3 weeks for 4 courses. Beginning 3 weeks later, patients then receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15 and placebo IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment with paclitaxel and placebo repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. ARM II: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide as in arm I and bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 2 or 3 weeks for 4 courses. Beginning 3 weeks later, patients then receive paclitaxel as in arm I and bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment with paclitaxel and bevacizumab repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. ARM III: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide as in arm I and bevacizumab as in arm II. Treatment repeats every 2 or 3 weeks for 4 courses. Beginning 3 weeks later, patients then receive paclitaxel as in arm I and bevacizumab as in arm II. Treatment with paclitaxel and bevacizumab repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. Beginning 2 months later, patients then receive bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment with bevacizumab alone repeats every 3 weeks for 10 courses. In all arms, treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 15 years.

Peru, South Africa, United States

Participants by arm