Tumour response interpretation with new tumour response criteria vs the World Health Organisation criteria in patients with bone-only metastatic breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
We compared the utility of a new response classification (MDA; based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), plain radiography (XR), and skeletal scintigraphy (SS)) and the World Health Organisation response classification (WHO; based on XR and SS) in stratifying breast cancer patients with bone-only metastases with respect to progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and clinical response.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 41 patients with bone-only metastatic breast cancer and assigned responses according to the MDA and WHO criteria. We analysed whether the MDA or WHO response classifications correlated with PFS and OS.


RESULTS
With the MDA criteria, there were significant differences in PFS between patients classified as responders and those classified as nonresponders (P=0.025), but with the WHO criteria, there were not. Neither criteria distinguished responders from nonresponders in terms of OS. MDA response criteria correlated better than WHO response criteria with clinical response assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
The MDA classification is superior to the WHO classification in differentiating between responders and nonresponders among breast cancer patients with bone-only metastases. Application of the MDA classification may allow bone lesions to be considered measurable disease. Prospective study is needed to test the MDA classification among patients with bone metastasis.
Hamaoka
T
T
Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030, USA.
Costelloe
C M
CM
Madewell
J E
JE
Liu
P
P
Berry
D A
DA
Islam
R
R
Theriault
R L
RL
Hortobagyi
G N
GN
Ueno
N T
NT
D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014944:World Health Organization