Influence of sequencing of chemotherapy and radiotherapy regarding adverse effects of the cytostatic treatment: Results of the ADEBAR trial

559 Background: The ADEBAR-trial was designed as a multicenter randomised phase III study for high risk primary breast cancer (BC) pts., i.e. with more than 3 axillary lymph node metastases. Primary objective of the trial was to evaluate the benefit of a sequential anthracycline-docetaxel regimen (E90C-D: 4 cycles epirubicin [E] 90 mg/m2 plus cyclophosphamide [C] 600 mg/m2 q21 days followed by 4 cycles docetaxel [D] 100mg/m2 q21 days) compared to dose-intensive anthracycline- containing polychemotherapy (FE120C: 6 cycles E 60 mg/m2 d 1+8, 5-FU 500mg/m2 d 1+8 and C 75 mg/m2 d 1–14, q4 weeks). Patients and Methods: The study started in 2001 and was closed in 2005. By this time 200 actively participating sites had recruited a total number of 1,502 patients. One of the stratification issues was the sequencing of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. All patients were required to receive adjuvant radiotherapy. However the timing of irradiation, either in a sandwich setting after the first half of chemotherapy cycles ...