title: Prognostic value of a positive-to-negative change in hormone receptor status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the prognostic value of positive-to-negative changes in hormone receptor (HR) status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in patients with HR-positive breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 224 stage II-III breast cancer patients with positive HR status before NCT who had residual disease in the breast after NCT were collected. HR status of the residual tumors was retested after NCT. A survival analysis was performed in 214 patients with adjuvant endocrine therapy regardless of post-NCT HR status. The survival analysis also examined other clinical and pathologic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 15.2 % of patients had a positive-to-negative change in HR status after NCT, and this change was observed more frequently in HER-2-positive tumors than HER-2-negative tumors (P = 0.001). In 214 patients who had been treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy regardless of post-NCT HR status, the alteration in HR status was an independent factor for the prediction of a poorer disease-free survival (P = 0.026) and overall survival (P < 0.001) in the adjuvant endocrine therapy patients. The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 43.5 % and 59.8 %, respectively, in patients with HR status conversion and 67.8 % and 82.5 %, respectively, in patients whose HR status remained positive (log rank test P = 0.003 and P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The switch of HR status after NCT is remarkable for HR-positive tumors. An HR-negative switch may identify patients who would benefit from alternative systemic therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Can-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ke-Da
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ruo-Ji
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D043823:Taxoids; D014747:Vinblastine; D000077235:Vinorelbine; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human