Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for primary operable breast cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is increasingly used for operable breast cancer to reduce tumor size.
• Danish guidelines updated in 2016 recommend six cycles of NACT for specific ductal carcinomas.
• Quality assessment of NACT efficacy in real-world clinical settings is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a NACT regimen in primary operable breast cancer patients.
• To assess treatment response, pathological outcomes, and surgical decision-making post-NACT.
• To determine the rate of completion and adherence to the NACT protocol.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study at Odense University Hospital, Denmark (2016-2018).
• Patient data collected via surgical registry and medical chart review.
• Analysis included tumor characteristics, surgical outcomes, and treatment response using descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test.

Main Results:

• 67% of 64 patients completed the NACT regimen.
• 55% underwent lumpectomy, and 64% were spared axillary dissection.
• Complete pathological response observed in 28%; 38% of N1 patients downstaged to N0.

Conclusions:

• The NACT regimen demonstrated a favorable treatment strategy for operable breast cancer.
• A significant majority of patients completed NACT and avoided mastectomy and axillary dissection.
• NACT facilitates tumor downstaging and organ-sparing surgical options.