Response to neoadjuvant therapy and disease free survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Triple negative breast cancer(TNBC)is characterized by estrogen receptor (ER) negative, progesterone receptor (PgR)negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) negative. It is a high risk breast cancer that lacks the benefit of specific therapy targeting these proteins. In this study, we compared the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and disease free survival between patients with TNBC and non-TNBC.


METHODS
151 patients were included in this study, who received neoadjuvant taxane and anthracycline-based chemotherapy at Peking University People's Hospital from 2002 to 2007. TNBC is defined by the lack of ER, PgR, and HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry. Clinical and pathologic parameters, pathologic complete response(pCR)rates and survival measurements were compared between patients with TNBC and non-TNBC.


RESULTS
21 of 151 patients (14%) had TNBC. Patients with TNBC compared with non-TNBC had significantly higher pCR rates(38% v 12%; p=0.002), but decreased disease-free survival rates(p=0.004). If pCR was achieved, patients with TNBC and non-TNBC had similar survival (p=0.497).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with TNBC have increased pCR rates compared with non-TNBC, and those with pCR achieved excellent disease free survival. However, patients who did not get pCR have significantly worse survival if they have TNBC compared with non-TNBC.
Wang
Shu
S
Breast Disease Center, Peking University, People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Yang
Houpu
H
Tong
Fuzhong
F
Zhang
Jiaqing
J
Yang
Deqi
D
Liu
Hongjun
H
Cao
Yingming
Y
Liu
Peng
P
Zhou
Po
P
Cheng
Lin
L
Liu
Miao
M
Guo
Jiajia
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human