Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Randomized Phase III Study Comparing Epirubicin, Docetaxel and Capecitabine + G-CSF to Epirubicin and Docetaxel + G-CSF as Neoadjuvant Treatment for Early HER-2 Negative Breast Cancer and Comparing Epirubicin, Docetaxel and Capecitabine + G-CSF ± Trastuzumab to Epirubicin and Docetaxel + G-CSF ± Trastuzumab as Neoadjuvant Treatment for Early HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer
Brief Summary: Primarily, this clinical investigation compares the rates (percentages) of pathological complete remissions attained at the time of final surgery following 6 cycles each of epirubicin + docetaxel + capecitabine-containing chemotherapy ± trastuzumab (in HER-2 positive disease) vs. epirubicin + docetaxel-containing chemotherapy ± trastuzumab (in HER-2 negative disease).


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Female patients with histologically proven, core-biopsied, invasive breast cancer of any clinical and/or radiological T-stage (except for T4d)
* Age 18-70 years
* WHO performance status ≤ 2
* No prior or current neoplasm except for curatively treated non-melanoma skin cancer, in situ carcinoma of the cervix
* No distant disease / secondary carcinoma judged clinically and at least by chest X-ray, liver sonography, and bone scan upon randomization
* No medical and/or cardiologic contraindication to receive an anthracycline- and taxane-containing chemotherapy regimen. Normal cardiac function must be confirmed by LVEF (echocardiography or Muga scan). The result must be above 50% or above the institution's ULN
* Results of the following assessments at the time of randomization must be available:

  1. chest wall CT, abdomen CT, bilateral mammography: within 4 weeks before enrolment;
  2. laboratory requirements: within 2 weeks before enrolment
  3. hematology: neutrophils ≥ 4.0 x 109/l, platelets ≥ 150 x 109/l, haemoglobin ≥ 13 g/dl
  4. hepatic function: total bilirubin \< 1 x ULN, ASAT (SGOT) and ALAT (SGPT) \< 1x ULN, alkaline phosphatase \< 1 x ULN. In case of abnormal values, liver function tests have to be repeated within 3 days before study treatment.
  5. renal function: creatinine ≤ 1 x ULN,
  6. histology, grading, hormone receptor status, HER-2/neu status
* Signed and dated informed consent before the start of specific protocol procedures
* Negative pregnancy test in the presence of childbearing potential

Exclusion Criteria:

* Stage T4d / inflammatory breast cancer
* Pregnant or lactating patients; patients of childbearing potential must implement adequate contraceptive measures during study participation
* Pre-existing motor or sensory neurotoxicity of a severity ≥ WHO grade 2
* Preoperative local treatment for breast cancer (i.e. incomplete surgery, radiotherapy)
* Prior or concomitant systemic antitumor therapy
* Other serious illness or medical condition

  1. congestive heart failure or unstable angina pectoris, even if medically controlled.

     Previous history of myocardial infarction within 1 year from study entry, uncontrolled hypertension or high-risk uncontrolled arrythmias
  2. history of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders, dementia or seizures that would prohibit the understanding and giving of informed consent
  3. active uncontrolled infection
  4. unstable peptic ulcer, unstable diabetes mellitus or other contraindication for the use of corticosteroids
* Concurrent treatment with corticosteroids except as use for the prophylactic regimen, inhalational use, treatment of acute hypersensitivity reactions, treatment of nausea/vomiting or chronic treatment (initiated \> 6 months prior to study entry) at low dose (≤ 20 mg methylprednisolone or equivalent)
* Known hypersensitivity against taxanes and/or epirubicin and/or fluorouracil/capecitabine
* Known dihydropyrimidine-dehydrogenase (DPD) deficit
* Treatment with an investigational drug within 30 days prior to study entry
* Legally incapacitated and/or other circumstances which make it unfeasible for the subject to understand the nature, meaning and consequences of the clinical study
* Concurrent psychiatric illness according to ICD (alcohol addiction) at the time of study entry
B: 1. Patients with operable, histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the female breast.
2. TNM Stage per AJCC Cancer Staging Manual 6th edition:

   * T1-4 (Tumor size \> 1 cm), N0, M0 or T1-4, N1-3, M0
   * Patients with bilateral, synchronous breast cancer are eligible as long as one primary tumor meets the criteria above.
3. Patients with HER2/neu positive, negative or unknown disease are eligible for this trial.

   Patients whose tumors are HER2 positive by either immunohistochemistry 3+ staining or demonstrate gene amplification by FISH will be eligible to receive trastuzumab, as outlined in the protocol.
4. Age 65 years or older
5. Performance status 0-2 (Common Toxicity Criteria).
6. Prior treatment:

   * Surgical resection -

     * All tumor should be removed by either a modified radical mastectomy or a lumpectomy. Patients must be registered ≤ 84 days from mastectomy or within 84 days of axillary dissection if patient's most extensive breast surgery was a breast sparing procedure.
     * Node dissection: Axillary node dissection is not required. Management of the axilla is at the discretion of the treating physician. There is no restriction on eligibility based on the number of nodes removed.
     * Mastectomy: There should be no evidence of gross or microscopic invasive tumor at the surgical resection margins noted in the final surgery or pathology reports for patients who have had a modified radical mastectomy. Patients with close margins (tumor \< 1 mm from margin) are eligible.
     * Segmental mastectomy (lumpectomy): Although clear margins are preferable, DCIS or LCIS at the surgical resection margin will not render a patient who has undergone a segmental mastectomy ineligible for this study. Invasive tumor at the final resection margin will render a patient ineligible.
   * No prior chemotherapy for this malignancy.
   * Patients with a history of hypersensitivity to 5-FU or known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency are not eligible to participate.
   * Patients may receive up to four weeks of tamoxifen therapy for this malignancy and still be eligible for study entry. Patients who received tamoxifen or raloxifene for purposes of chemoprevention (e.g., Breast Cancer Prevention Trial) or for other indications (including previous breast cancer) are eligible. Tamoxifen or raloxifene therapy should be discontinued before the patient is enrolled on this study.
7. Required Initial Laboratory Data:

   * Granulocytes \> 1,500/µl
   * Platelet count ≥100,000/µl
   * Calculated Creatinine Clearance \> 30 mL/min
   * Total bilirubin ≤ ULN
C: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histological diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma

  * Cytological proof of malignancy alone is not sufficient
  * Early stage disease (T0-3, N0-2, M0) without clinical suspicion or evidence of distant metastases on routine staging
  * No locally advanced breast cancer (T4 and/or N3 disease)
* Completely resected disease by breast-conserving surgery with axillary node clearance or modified radical mastectomy within the past 4-8 weeks

  * Negative surgical margins required, unless either of the following are true:

    * Deep surgical margins after full thickness resection
    * Noninvasive cancer at surgical margins for which a mastectomy is planned after completion of study chemotherapy
  * No contraindication for or refusal of postoperative radiotherapy in patients who underwent prior breast-conserving surgery
* Definite indication for adjuvant chemotherapy
* No prior or current invasive breast cancer or bilateral breast cancer

  * Prior surgically-treated ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ allowed
* Hormone receptor status:

  * Estrogen receptor- and/or progesterone receptor-positive or -negative tumor

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Sex: male or female
* Menopausal status: premenopausal or postmenopausal
* No previous malignancy except basal cell carcinoma, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or any cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 10 years and for which treatment consisted solely of resection
* ECOG status 0 or 1
* Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL
* WBC \> 3,000/mm³
* Platelet count \> 10,000/mm³
* Bilirubin normal (unless due to known Gilbert's disease)
* AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Albumin normal
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Creatinine clearance \> 50 mL/min
* No active, uncontrolled infection
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No concurrent medical, psychiatric, or geographic problems that might prevent completion of treatment or follow-up
* Available for a minimum of 5 years' follow-up
* No known serious viral infection such as active hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV
* No significant cardiac disease, such as impaired left ventricular function or active angina requiring regular anti-anginal medication and/or resulting in restricted physical activity
* No history of significant renal impairment or disease

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No simultaneous participation in the active intervention phase of another treatment trial
* Not being approached or recruited for another trial within 2 months of study entry
* No previous chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiotherapy for the treatment of pre-invasive or invasive cancer except for either of the following:

  * Previous radiotherapy for basal cell carcinoma
  * Previous preoperative endocrine therapy, provided there was no evidence of progression during this therapy, it lasted for less than 6 weeks in duration, and it was stopped at least one month prior to trial entry
* Concurrent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog therapy allowed for premenopausal patients
* More than 4 weeks since prior hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or pre-operative endocrine therapy
* No prior breast conserving surgery if there is a contradiction for or refusal of postoperative radiotherapy
D: Inclusion Criteria

1. Written informed consent obtained prior to any study-specific procedure.
2. Age ≥18 years.
3. Able to comply with the protocol.
4. Histologically or cytologically confirmed, HER2-negative, adenocarcinoma of the breast with measurable or non-measurable locally recurrent or metastatic disease, who are candidates for chemotherapy. Locally recurrent disease must not be amenable to radiotherapy or resection with curative intent.
5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance Status (PS) of 0-2.
6. Life expectancy more than 12 weeks.
7. Prior (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy is allowed provided that the last dose of chemotherapy was more than 6 months prior to randomization. However, if (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy was:

   * Taxane-based, patients are eligible only if they received their last taxane more than 12 months prior to randomization.
   * Anthracycline-based, the maximum cumulative dose of prior anthracycline therapy must not exceed 360 mg/m2 for doxorubicin and 720 mg/m2 for epirubicin.
8. Prior adjuvant radiotherapy is allowed as part of the treatment of early breast cancer provided that last fraction of radiotherapy occurred at least 6 months prior to randomization. Radiotherapy administered solely for the relief of metastatic bone pain is allowed prior to study entry, providing that:

   * no more than 30% of marrow-bearing bone was irradiated
   * the last fraction of radiotherapy was administered ≥ 3 weeks prior to randomization.
9. Adequate left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) at baseline, defined as LVEF ≥ 50% by either echocardiogram or multigated acquisition scan (MUGA).
10. Adequate hematological function

    * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 109/L
    * Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L
    * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (may be transfused to maintain or exceed this level).
11. Adequate liver function

    * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.25 x upper normal limit (ULN)
    * Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) \< 2.5 x ULN in patients without liver metastases; \< 5.0 x ULN in patients with liver metastases.
12. Adequate renal function

    * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.25 x ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min.
    * Urine dipstick for proteinuria \< +2. Patients discovered to have ≥ +2 proteinuria on dipstick urinalysis at baseline should undergo a 24-hour urine collection and must demonstrate ≤ 1g of protein in 24 hours
13. The use of full-dose oral or parenteral anticoagulants is permitted as long as the patient has been on a stable level of anticoagulation for at least two weeks at the time of randomization

    * Patients on heparin treatment should have a baseline activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) between 1.5 - 2.5 times ULN or patients value before starting heparin treatment
    * Patients on low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) should receive daily dose of 1.5 - 2 mg/kg (of enoxaparin) or appropriate doses of the correspondent anticoagulant, according to package insert
    * Patients on coumarin derivatives should have an international normalized ratio (INR) between 2.0 and 3.0 assessed at baseline in two consecutive measurements 1-4 days apart
    * Patients not receiving anticoagulant medication must have an INR ≤ 1.5 and aPTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN within 7 days prior to randomization

Exclusion Criteria

1. Previous chemotherapy for metastatic or locally recurrent breast cancer.
2. Concomitant hormonal therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic disease. Note: previous hormonal therapy is allowed for adjuvant, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, but must have been discontinued at least 3 weeks prior to randomization.
3. Previous radiotherapy for the treatment of metastatic disease (unless given for the relief of metastatic bone pain and with the precautions mentioned above).
4. Other primary tumors within the last 5 years, except for adequately controlled limited basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix.
5. Pre-existing peripheral neuropathy NCI CTCAE grade \> 2 at randomization.
6. Evidence of spinal cord compression or current evidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases (even if previously treated). If suspected, the patient should be scanned by CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 28 days prior to randomization to rule out spinal / CNS metastases.
7. History or evidence upon physical/neurological examination of CNS disease unrelated to cancer, unless adequately treated with standard medical therapy (e.g. uncontrolled seizures).
8. Major surgical procedure, open biopsy or significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to randomization, or anticipation of the need for major surgery during the course of the study treatment.
9. Minor surgical procedures, including insertion of an indwelling catheter, within 24 hours prior to randomization.
10. Current or recent (within 10 days of first dose of bevacizumab) use of aspirin (\> 325 mg/day) or clopidogrel (\> 75 mg/day).
11. Chronic daily treatment with corticosteroids (dose of \> 10 mg/day methylprednisolone equivalent) (excluding inhaled steroids).
12. History or evidence of inherited bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy with the risk of bleeding.
13. Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic \> 150 mmHg and/or diastolic \> 100 mmHg).
14. Clinically significant (i.e. active) cardiovascular disease, requiring medication during the study and might interfere with regularity of the study treatment, or not controlled by medication.
15. Non-healing wound, active peptic ulcer or bone fracture.
16. History of abdominal fistula, or any grade 4 non-gastrointestinal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months of randomization.
17. Active infection requiring i.v. antibiotics at randomization.
18. Pregnant or lactating females. Serum pregnancy test to be assessed within 7 days prior to study treatment start, or within 14 days with a confirmatory urine pregnancy test within 7 days prior to study treatment start.
19. Women of childbearing potential (\< 2 years after the last menstruation) not using effective, non-hormonal means of contraception (intrauterine contraceptive device, barrier method of contraception in conjunction with spermicidal jelly or surgically sterile) during the study and for a period of 6 months following the last administration of study drug.
20. Men who do not agree to use effective contraception during the study and for a period of 6 months following the last administration of study drug.
21. Current or recent (within 28 days of randomization) treatment with another investigational drug or participation in another investigational study
22. Clinically significant malabsorption syndrome or inability to take oral medication.
23. Psychiatric disability judged by the Investigator to be interfering with compliance for oral drug intake.
24. Requirement for concurrent use of the antiviral agent sorivudine or chemically related analogues, such as brivudine.
25. Evidence of any other disease, metabolic or psychological dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicates the use of an investigational drug, or that may affect patient compliance with study routines, or places the patient at high risk from treatment related complications.
26. Known Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency or prior unanticipated severe reaction to fluoropyrimidine therapy (with or without documented DPD deficiency)
27. Known hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs (including 5-FU) or excipients. Hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products or other recombinant human or humanized antibodies. History of hypersensitivity reactions with drugs formulated in Cremophor® EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil), or previous therapy with bevacizumab.

Answer: A