title: Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and the efficacy of trastuzumab in the People's Republic of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and outcomes of Chinese patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data and survival statuses of 732 patients with operable HER2-positive breast cancer who were treated at the Department of Breast Surgery of the Shanghai Cancer Center from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2011, were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to treatment with and without trastuzumab. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The associations of the patient characteristics with prognosis were analyzed via Cox regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 732 women with HER2-positive breast cancer were included in this study, among whom 258 (35.2%) received trastuzumab. The median follow-up duration was 41 months. By the end of the follow-up period, 86 (12%) women experienced local recurrence or metastasis. Patients who received both anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy exhibited a longer DFS than those who received chemotherapy alone (P=0.001). Tumor size, lymph node status, and family history of breast cancer were associated with median DFS, and tumor size, lymph node status, clinical stage, age, and body mass index were associated with median overall survival. Patients who received both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab exhibited a higher rate of pathological complete remission. In the neoadjuvant group, the patients who received both anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy exhibited a longer DFS than those who received chemotherapy alone (P=0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant clinical features were observed in the Chinese patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Furthermore, targeted anti-HER2 therapy may improve the prognosis of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, TCM-Integrated Cancer Center of Southern Medical University, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Breast Diseases, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Foshan University, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, TCM-Integrated Cancer Center of Southern Medical University, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Rong-Cheng
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Shao
keywords: HER2; breast cancer; chemotherapy; disease-free survival; trastuzumab