Inclusion Criteria:
- Histologically proven cancer of the breast,
- Mastectomy or complete tumorectomy,
- Histologically proven homolateral, axillary lymph node involvement (at least 1 N+)
- Period between surgery (second operation in case of primarily incomplete resection)
and the start of chemotherapy < 2 months,
- Biological criteria (before the first FEC cycle):
- Neutrophils >1.5 109 /L
- Platelets >100 109/L
- Hemoglobin >10 g/dl
- Creatininemia <120 mmol/1
- Bilirubinemia <1.5 Upper normal value
- Female patients over 18 years old
- Written and signed informed consent
- Performance Status less than or equal to 2 (WHO scale, see Annex IV)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy, including neo-adjuvant treatment for cancer of
the breast,
- Bilateral breast cancer or history of contralateral breast cancer
- Cardiac history: cardiac insufficiency (LVEF <50%) or coronary decompensation
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding (effective contraception is mandatory in the case of
women of child-bearing potential)
- Inflammatory breast cancer
- Distant metastasis or supraclavicular adenopathy
- Benign pathology or history of malignant pathology accompanied by a life expectancy
of less than two years
- Contra-indication to Anthracyclines, Cyclophosphamide, 5FU or Taxol
- Psychiatric pathology
- Patient participating in another trial