Pathologic changes related to CMF primary chemotherapy in breast cancer. Pathological evaluation of response predicts clinical outcome.
The pathologic changes associated to response to primary chemotherapy in a series of 303 operable breast cancers are evaluated and correlated to patients' follow-up (interval free of disease and survival). In our series, the incidence of microscopic changes related to chemotherapy is 43.9%. Tumor replacement by loose fibrosis is the most common pathologic event. In most cases, the intensity of fibrotic change is proportional to the degree of clinical-mammographic reduction of the tumor mass. However, some discrepancies exist in the sense of absence of microscopic changes in cases of well-documented mammographic reduction as well as in cases without clinical reduction but with large areas of chemotherapy-related fibrosis. The presence of pathologic response is significantly associated with better survival rate.
Moreno
Abelardo
A
Breast Cancer Unit, Ciutat Sanitaria de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet, Barcelona, Spain. amoreno@csub.scs.es
Escobedo
Agustín
A
Benito
Enrique
E
Serra
Jose Ma
JM
Gumà
Anna
A
Riu
Francisco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008327:Mammography; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate
D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate