title: [Assessment of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its influencing factors in the breast cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  171 patients with stage II or operable stage III breast cancers were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery between January 2004 and May 2005. Of these, 160 received and completed > or =3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 11 received only 2 cycles. The regimens of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were: CEF (CTX, Epirubicin, 5-Fu); NE (Navelbine, Epirubicin); TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin, CTX). Response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated in all patients by palpation, ultrasonography and pathological methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete response rate and clinical objective response rate determined by clinical palpation (cCR, cOR), ultrasonography (sCR, sOR) and pathology (pCR) was 18.7% and 88.3%; 4.1% and 74.9%; 15.2%, respectively. The correspondence rate of the pCR with cCR and sCR was 43.8% and 42.9%, respectively. It was showed by univariate analysis that patient whose tumor was < or =3 cm in diameter, or ER negative or grade 3 were more likely to achieve a pCR than those whose tumor was >3 cm, or ER positive or grade 1. Logistic regression analysis showed that only tumor size was the significant predictive factor for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient with small, or ER negative or grade 3 tumor may have better pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, particularly, the tumor size is more predictive of pCR. Palpation or ultrasonography may have a tendency either to under- or to overestimate pCR. Breast neoplasms/drug therapy;
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Diseases, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang 110042, China. zhangbin@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Da-qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / 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; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012074:Remission Induction; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D014747:Vinblastine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D005472:Fluorouracil