Clinical Outcomes and Predictors of Pathological Response in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Anthracycline/Taxane-Based Neoadjuvant Therapy
摘要
Systemic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery for breast cancer require a multidisciplinary approach and the treatment spectrum is individualized according to molecular subtype analysis. Nonetheless, similar responses cannot be achieved, and the heterogeneity of the cancer is affected by many factors. In our study, we aimed to evaluate postoperative pathologic responses and possible associated predictive factors in a population of patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who received the same neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) regimen. Demographic and clinicopathological data were retrospectively reviewed in the TNBC patient population who received consecutive anthracycline/taxane-based NACT regimens between January 2018 and June 2022 in the general surgery department of a tertiary hospital. Breast and axillary pathological responses and factors affecting pathological responses were statistically analyzed in the patients included in the study. The mean age of 44 patients included in the study was 50.1 ± 11.8. Pathological complete response (pCR) was achieved in 29.5% of patients for the primary breast focus, and the pCR rate was higher in postmenopausal patients, which was statistically significant (p = 0.048). The pCR rate of patients with axillary node involvement was 74.1%. A higher mean age (50.7 vs. 42.5), postmenopausal period, and early clinical stage were associated with increased axillary pCR rates. No significant relationship was found between tumor diameter, histological grade, Ki-67 scores, BRCA mutations, and pathological response. Recurrence was detected in seven (15.9%) patients who did not receive pCR. The median follow-up time was 18 (6–36) months. Optimal response to NACT for disease-free and overall survival in TNBC is critical for predicting prognosis. Response to systemic treatment is influenced by unalterable factors such as age and menopausal status, as well as the non-locally advanced stage, which is only possible with early diagnosis.