J Breast Cancer.  2019 Sep;22(3):412-424. 10.4048/jbc.2019.22.e35.

Potential Benefits of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Clinically Node-Positive Luminal Subtype⁻ Breast Cancer

• Kim HS
• Yoo TK
• Park WC
• Chae BJ

• KMID: 2458862
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2019.22.e35

Abstract

PURPOSE
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is less effective for luminal breast cancer because luminal breast cancer has a lower rate of pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC than human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-type and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We investigated the efficacy of NAC and the predictive factors of a better response in luminal breast cancer.
METHODS
Between 2010 and 2016, we retrieved data of 244 patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer who were treated with NAC followed by surgery from a prospectively collected database. We classified breast cancer into luminal HER2⁻ and non-luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer (luminal HER2⁺, HER2⁺, and TNBC types). We analyzed each subtype with respect to surgical outcomes, response to NAC, and determined variables associated with surgical outcomes and response in patients with luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer.
RESULTS
The total, breast, and axillary pCR rates were significantly lower in 114 patients with luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer than in those with other subtypes (7.9%, 12.3%, and 22.8%, respectively). However, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) conversion and tumor response rates did not significantly differ between patients with luminal HER2⁻ and those with non-luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer (p = 0.836 and p = 0.180, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, high tumor response rate (≥ 46.4%) was significantly associated with an increased BCS conversion rate. In the subgroup analysis of luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer, the multivariate analysis showed that higher Ki67 expression and axilla pCR and BCS conversion rates were significantly associated with tumor response to NAC.
CONCLUSION
Despite the low pCR rate, the tumor response and BCS conversion rates after NAC of luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer were similar to those of other subtypes. NAC has the potential benefit of reducing the size of breast cancer, thereby increasing the BCS conversion rate in luminal HER2⁻ breast cancer.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Mastectomy, segmental; Neoadjuvant therapy

MeSH Terms

Axilla
Breast Neoplasms*
Breast*
Drug Therapy*
Humans
Mastectomy, Segmental
Multivariate Analysis
Neoadjuvant Therapy
Phenobarbital*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prospective Studies
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms
Phenobarbital
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Study profile. A total of 311 patients received NAC and subsequently underwent surgery between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2016. Of these, 244 patients met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled in this study. NAC = neoadjuvant chemotherapy; LN = lymph node; HER2 = human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; TNBC = triple-negative breast cancer.

• 

  Figure 2 pCR rates and BCS conversion rates in neoadjuvant chemotherapy by histologic subtype. pCR = pathologic complete response; BCS = breast-conserving surgery; HER2 = human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; TNBC = triple-negative breast cancer.

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