Therapy for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Using Doxil, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide With Avastin

In this trial, an attempt will be made to replicate the high rate of pathological complete response seen after conventional chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer, using a regimen in which Doxil is substituted for conventional doxorubicin. We expect that the low or minimal effect on cardiac function produced by Doxil will minimize any additional risk of cardiotoxicity from Avastin. We will also measure left ventricular ejection fractions before and after treatment to see if the substantial rate of subclinical cardiotoxicity reported by Swain et al 5 and Perez et al 7 can be avoided. The reported rates of cardiotoxicity after treatment with relatively high doses of Doxil are substantially lower than those of doxorubicin; few data are available to estimate the rate of cardiotoxicity of Doxil in patients treated with only about 100 mg/m2 total accumulated dose, the dose to be utilized here. The drug has been used in a few patients in the primary systemic therapy setting, with no reported clinical cardiotoxicity. The expectation is that clinical and subclinical rates of cardiotoxicity will be very low or negligible at the total doses to be used here.