Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pathologic response: a retrospective cohort

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complete pathologic response attained by patients diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the doxorubicin/ cyclophosphamide regimen followed by paclitaxel. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of patients with locally advanced breast cancer, admitted to the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos between 2006 and 2008 submitted to the doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide protocol followed by paclitaxel (4 cycles of doxorubicin 60mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600mg/m(2) every 21 days; 4 cycles of paclitaxel 175mg/m(2) every 21 days). The following variables were assessed: age, menopause, performance status, initial clinical staging, anthropometric data, chemotherapy (dose – duration), toxicity profile, post-treatment staging, surgery, pathologic complete response rate, disease-free survival, and pathological characteristics (type and histological degree, hormonal profile and lymph node involvement). Statistical analysis was performed using a 5% level of significance. RESULTS: Of the 434 patients evaluated, 136 were excluded due to error in staging or because they had received another type of chemotherapy. Median age was 50 years, all with performance status 0-1. Median initial clinical size of tumor was 65mm and the median final clinical size of the tumor was 22mm. Fifty-one (17.1%) patients experienced a pathologic complete response. Those with a negative hormonal profile or who were triple-negative (negative Her-2 and hormonal profile) experienced a favorable impact on the pathologic complete response. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin/ cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel provided a pathologic complete response in the population studied in accordance with that observed in the literature. Triple-negative patients had a greater chance of attaining this response.