Prognostic significance of neutropenia on day one of anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in operable breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
It is currently unknown whether neutropenia during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer is associated with prognosis.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 103 breast cancer patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy including epirubicin-based chemotherapy followed by docetaxel. The association between neutropenia due to epirubicin-based chemotherapy and distant disease-free survival (DDFS) was assessed.


RESULTS
Thirty-one patients (30%) demonstrated neutropenia during the epirubicin-based regimen. Patients without neutropenia showed a significantly (p = 0.004) lower 5-year DDFS rate (64%) than those with neutropenia (97%). In addition, multivariate analysis showed that neutropenia is an independent prognostic factor for DDFS (p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Neutropenia occurring in early breast cancer patients during the initial neoadjuvant treatment is strongly associated with a better prognosis.
Ishitobi
Makoto
M
Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka 537-8511, Japan. isitobi-ma @ mc.pref.osaka.jp
Komoike
Yoshifumi
Y
Motomura
Kazuyoshi
K
Koyama
Hiroki
H
Inaji
Hideo
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia; D011379:Prognosis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018943:Anthracyclines; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide