Evaluation of the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for intermediate and advanced breast cancer by 3.0T MR and ultrasound combined with tumour markers

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for intermediate and advanced breast cancer using 3.0T MR and ultrasound in combination with tumour markers(CEA,CA-153,CA125),and to provide therapeutic references for the clinicians,so as to better satisfy the needs of treatment for intermediate and advanced breast cancer patients.Methods:The team collected 30 patients who were diagnosed with intermediate and advanced breast cancer by biopsy and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and divided them into sensitive and insensitive groups according to the MP grading of postoperative pathological results.The team retrospectively analysed the changes in the values of serum CEA,CA-153,and CA 125 before and after the neoadjuvant chemotherapy,the changes in the average ADC of the lesions before and after the observation by MRI,and the changes in the volume and size of lesions before and after the observation by ultrasonography to assess the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy individually,and the results of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated individually.The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was assessed independently.Each of the above was evaluated independently,and the accuracy of each item was calculated by comparing the evaluation results with the pathological examination results,and the accuracy of the single item was compared with the accuracy of the three combined tests to determine whether the combined evaluation was more consistent.Results:All three examination and testing methods can achieve high accuracy,and the combined evaluation of the three is more accurate than the evaluation of the single way,and the difference is statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:In neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients,the combined assessment of MR,CDFI and tumour markers can more comprehensively and accurately assess the effect of ADC,and more accurately guide the clinical treatment and determine the prognosis.

Application Progress of Ultrasound Radiomics in the Evaluation and Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest incidence in women. In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer has shown an increasing trend, especially in younger patients, which seriously threatens the life and health of women. In order to improve the treatment effect of breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has become a reliable strategy to cooperate with surgical treatment and improve the prognosis of advanced breast cancer, which is conducive to quickly and accurately curbing the growth of cancer cells, controlling the patients’ condition, reducing their pain, and improving the cure rate of breast cancer patients. This paper analyzes the development history of ultrasound radiomics, explores its application in the evaluation and prediction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer, and clarifies the research results of multimodal ultrasound radiomics in the analysis of high-order characteristics of breast cancer tumors and the evaluation of tumor heterogeneity, so as to provide references for the clinical treatment of breast cancer.

Ki-67 Change in Anthracyline-containing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer

Objective Anthracycline-containing regimens are irreplaceable in neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)for breast cancer(BC)at present.However,30% of early breast cancer(EBC)patients are resistant to anthracycline-containing chemotherapy,leading to poor prognosis and higher mortality.Ki-67 is associated with the prognosis and response to therapy,and it changes after NAC.Methods A total of 105 BC patients who received anthracycline-containing NAC were enrolled.Then,the optimal model of Ki-67 was selected,and its predictive efficacy was analyzed.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was used to determine the estrogen receptor(ER),progesterone receptor(PR),and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2)status and Ki-67 level.Fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH)was used to verify the HER-2 when the IHC score was 2+.Results The post-NAC Ki67 level after treatment with anthracycline drugs was lower than pre-NAC Ki-67(19.6%±23.3%vs.45.6%±23.1%,P<0.001).Furthermore,patients with the Ki-67 decrease had a border line higher pathological complete response(pCR)rate(17.2%vs.0.0%,P=0.068),and a higher overall response rate(ORR)(73.6%vs.27.8%,P<0.001),when compared to patients without the Ki-67 decrease.The ΔKi-67 and ΔKi-67%were valuable markers for the prediction of both the pCR rate and ORR.The area under the curve(AUC)for ΔKi-67 on pCR and ORR was 0.809(0.698-0.921)and 0.755(0.655-0.855),respectively,while the AUC for ΔKi-67% on pCR and ORR was 0.857(0.742-0.972)and 0.720(0.618-0.822),respectively.Multivariate logistic regression model 1 revealed thatΔKi-67 was an independent predictor for both pCR[odds ratio(OR)=61.030,95% confidence interval(CI)=4.709-790.965;P=0.002]and ORR(OR=10.001,95%CI:3.044-32.858;P<0.001).Multivariate logistic regression model 2 revealed thatΔKi-67%was also an independent predictor for both pCR(OR=408.922,95%CI=8.908-18771.224;P=0.002)and ORR(OR=5.419,95%CI=1.842-15.943;P=0.002).Conclusions The present study results suggest thatΔKi67 andΔKi67%are candidate predictors for anthracycline-containing NAC response,and that they may provide various information for further systematic therapy after surgery in clinical practice.

Correlation and predictive value of pathological complete response and ultrasound characteristic parameters in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast

BACKGROUND Breast cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignant tumors among women,significantly endangering their health and lives.While radical surgery has been a pivotal method for halting disease progression,it alone is insufficient for enhancing the quality of life for patients.AIM To investigate the correlation between ultrasound characteristic parameters of breast cancer lesions and clinical efficacy in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC).METHODS Employing a case-control study design,this research involved 178 breast cancer patients treated with NAC at our hospital from July 2019 to June 2022.According to the Miller-Payne grading system,the pathological response,i.e.efficacy,of the NAC in the initial breast lesion after NAC was evaluated.Of these,59 patients achieved a pathological complete response(PCR),while 119 did not(non-PCR group).Ultrasound characteristics prior to NAC were compared between these groups,and the association of various factors with NAC efficacy was analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches.RESULTS In the PCR group,the incidence of posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,and Alder blood flow grade≥II were significantly lower compared to the non-PCR group(P<0.05).The area under the curve values for predicting NAC efficacy using posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter,and Alder grade were 0.604,0.603,and 0.583,respectively.Also,rates of pathological stage II,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion,and positive Ki-67 expression were significantly lower in the PCR group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis identified posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,Alder blood flow grade≥II,pathological stage III,vascular invasion,and positive Ki-67 expression as independent predictors of poor response to NAC in breast cancer patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION While ultrasound characteristics such as posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,and Alder blood flow grade≥II exhibit limited predictive value for NAC efficacy,they are significantly associated with poor response to NAC in breast cancer patients.

Personalized Perioperative Care for a Patient with a 10-Year-Old Postpartum Old Thrombus after Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and has become the main cause threatening women’s health. A case of breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was discharged after active treatment and nursing.

Clinical Effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection in the Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Local Advanced Breast Cancer and the Effects on T-lymphocyte Subsets

Objective： To evaluate clinical effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection （参芪抉正注射液） in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy for local advanced breast cancer and the effects on T-lymphocyte subsets. Methods： During the period from 2000 to 2005, 126 patients with local advanced breast cancer were treated with the neoadjuvant chemotherapy. They were randomly divided into the following two groups： a control group of 61 cases treated by chemotherapy alone and a study group of 65 cases treated by chemotherapy plus Shenqi Fuzheng Injection, All the cases of both groups were given the CEF （CTX 500 mg/m^2, d1, 8; EP140 mg/m^2, d1, 8; and 5-Fu 500 mg/m^2, d1,8） regimen. The clinical effects, the effects on T-lymphocyte subgroup and NK cells, and the toxic side effects were observed. Results： All the patients completed two cycles of the chemotherapy, and the efficacy and the toxic side effects were evaluated. For the primary tumor in the breast, the total effective rate was 69.2% （45/65） in the study group and 49.2% （30/61） in the control group with a statistically significant difference in the intergroup comparison （x^2=5.251, P=0.022, 〈 0.05）. There was no progression of the disease in both the groups, and there were no grade IV toxic side effects in the two groups. The major toxic responses were myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction, which were milder in the study group than the control group, and with a shorter recovery course in the former than the latter. Besides, an obvious rise of the T-lymphocyte subgroup and NK cells was found in the study group after the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with a very significant difference from the controls （P〈0.01）. Conclusions： Shenqi Fuzheng Injection can improve and regulate immune function of the patients with local advanced breast cancer given the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and therefore it can enhance the curative effect and reduce the side effect as well.

Unfavorable Pathological Complete Response Rate of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Epirubicin plus Taxanes for Locally Advanced Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Anthracycline-Taxane chemotherapy is widely used in neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancers. However, there is limited data reported in patients with triple negative breast cancer （TNBC）. Here, we evaluated the pathologic responses and survival of neoadjuvant epirubicin and taxanes chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced TNBC to provide some useful information for clinical practice. A total of 43 patients with locally advanced TNBC were enrolled in this study. Patients were administered with epirubicin 75 mg/m^2 plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m^2 or docetaxel 75 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for at least 2 cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response （pCR）, which was defined as no residual invasive cancer, or only carcinoma in situ in both the excised breast and axillary lymph node, while relapse-free survival （RFS） and overall survival （OS） were secondary endpoints. Thirty-nine （90.7%） patients were at clinical stages II B-IIIC. Thirty-seven （86%） completed 4-6 cycles of preop- erative chemotherapy, and objective response rate （ORR） was 81.4% （35/43）. Forty-two patients un- derwent radical surgery subsequently. The pCR rate was 14.3% （6/42）. The most common adverse events in neoadjuvant chemotherapy were nausea/vomiting （88.4%, 38/43） and neutropenia （88.4%）. After a median follow-up period of 34.0 months, 3-year RFS and OS rate was 53.6% and 80.1%, respectively. All events of recurrence and death occurred in non-pCR patients, in whom the 3-year RFS and OS rates were 44.3% and 76.6%, respectively. This study suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin plus taxanes has a relatively low pCR rate and high early recurrence risk in locally ad- vanced TNBC, which indicates the necessity for more efficacious treatment. Further study is needed to validate these results.

The choice of a neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycle for breast cancer has significance in clinical practice: results from a population-based, real world study

Objective:Neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)is currently used in both early stage and locally advanced breast cancers.The survival benefits of standard vs.non-standard NAC cycles are still unclear.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NAC cycles and survival based on real world data.Methods:We identified patients diagnosed with invasive primary breast cancers who underwent NAC followed by surgery.Patients who received at least 4 NAC cycles were defined as having received standard cycles,while patients who received less than 4 NAC cycles were defined as having received non-standard cycles.Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS).Results:Of the 1,024 included patients,700 patients received standard NAC cycles and 324 patients received non-standard NAC cycles.The DFS estimates were 87.1%and 81.0%(P=0.007)and the OS estimates were 90.0%and 82.6%(P=0.001)in the standard and non-standard groups,respectively.Using multivariate analyses,patients treated with standard NAC cycles showed significant survival benefits in both DFS[hazard ratio(HR):0.62,95%confidence interval(CI):0.44–0.88]and OS(HR:0.54,95%CI:0.37–0.79).Using stratified analyses,standard NAC cycles were associated with improved DFS(HR:0.59,95%CI:0.36–0.96)and OS(HR:0.49,95%CI:0.28–0.86)in the HER2 positive group.Similar DFS(HR:0.50,95%CI:0.25–0.98)and OS(HR:0.45,95%CI:0.22–0.91)benefits were shown for the triple negative group.Conclusions:Standard NAC cycles were associated with a significant survival benefit,especially in patients with HER2 positive or triple negative breast cancer.

Added value of systemic inflammation markers for monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND Complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(r NACT) elevates the surgical outcomes of patients with breast cancer, however, non-r NACT have a higher risk of death and recurrence.AIM To establish novel machine learning(ML)-based predictive models for predicting probability of r NACT in breast cancer patients who intends to receive NACT.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 487 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery and axillary lymph node dissection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the Hubei Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2013, and October 1, 2021. The study cohort was divided into internal training and testing datasets in a 70:30 ratio for further analysis. A total of twenty-four variables were included to develop predictive models for r NACT by multiple MLbased algorithms. A feature selection approach was used to identify optimal predictive factors. These models were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve for predictive performance.RESULTS Analysis identified several significant differences between the r NACT and nonr NACT groups, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, neutrophilto-lymphocyte ratio, body mass index, platelet count, albumin-to-globulin ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. The areas under the curve of the six models ranged from 0.81 to 0.96. Some ML-based models performed better than models using conventional statistical methods in both ROC curves. The support vector machine(SVM) model with twelve variables introduced was identified as the best predictive model.CONCLUSION By incorporating retreatment serum lipids and serum inflammation markers, it is feasible to develop ML-based models for the preoperative prediction of r NACT and therefore facilitate the choice of treatment, particularly the SVM, which can improve the prediction of r NACT in patients with breast cancer.

Meta-Analysis: ¹⁸F-FDG PET or PET/CT for the Evaluation of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy and the predictive value of 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT in the assessment of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in locally advanced breast cancer by meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Relevant studies were identified by systematic searches of PUBMED and COCHRANE databases, published in English. To ensure homogeneity of all included studies, selection criteria were established and all the studies were scored according to Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) criteria. Meta-analysis was done on the diagnostic performance data from eligible studies. Draw funnel plots to explore the publication bias. Draw forest plots to exclude abnormal data(s). Use Spearman correlation coefficients p, likelihood ratio x2 test and I2 index in order to indicate heterogeneity. Estimate and compare the weighted summary sensitivities (SEs), specificities (SPs), diagnostic odds ratios (DORs), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves of PET and other examinations (measuring the size of tumor). Subgroup analyses were performed to identify heterogeneity potential sources. Do Z test to find significant difference between each results. Results: 27 groups of data in 19 eligible studies were included with a total of 1164 subjects evaluated by 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT and 291 ones evaluated by other examinations. Funnel plots showed the existence of publication bias. Spearman correlation coefficients p, likelihood ratio x2 test and I2 index explored the heterogeneity. The Results of the Weighted Summary: SEPET was significantly higher than SED [83.7% (329/393) vs. 59.0% (98/166), p SPPET was significantly higher than SPD [66.8% (512/766) vs. 40.8% (51/125), p DORPET was significantly higher than DORD (14.02 vs. 1.29, p AUCPET and Q*PET were both significantly higher than AUCD and Q*D (AUCs 0.8838 vs. 0.6046;Q*s 0.8143 vs. 0.5788, p st or 2nd cycle of NAC was a litter better than later with higher SE (p = 0.083). Standardized uptake value (SUV) reduction rate between 40% and 45% as FDG-PET response threshold value was used for its highest SP (p = 0.01), while no significant difference was found comparing SEs and DORs (p > 0.05). Trend of higher SE and lower SP were found at ER negative breast cancers than ER positive ones (SEs 93.94% vs. 83.33%;SPs 35.76% vs. 62.24%), though Z test did not find significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that FDG-PET or PET/CT does have a higher global accuracy in assessing the response for NAC in breast cancer. Comparing with clinical response, metabolic response plays a potential role in directing therapy for breast cancer. Factors which affected the accuracy of FDG-PET assessment included PET timing point, SUV reduction rate as threshold value and ER expression.

Different response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for different molecular subtypes in patients with locally advanced breast cancer

Objective： The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different molecular subtypes defined by immunohistochemistry （IHC） staining on the response rate for patients with locally advanced breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods： One hundred and seven breast cancer patients admitted from 2007 to 2011 who received 4 cycles of docetaxel/epirubicin-combined （TE） neoadjuvant chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed, the patients were classified into 4 subtypes： luminal A, luminal B, HER-2 and triple negative breast cancer （TNBC） according to different combination patterns of estrogen receptor （ER）, progesterone receptor （PR） and human epidermal growth factor-2 （HER-2） expression defined by IHC method. The correlation between response rate and the molecular subtypes were analyzed. Results： The pathological complete response （PCR）, clinical complete response （CCR）, clinical partial response （CPR）, and clinical stable disease （CSD） rate of whole group was 15.89% （17/107）, 22.43% （24/107）, 63.55% （68/107）, 14.02% （15/107）, respectively, and the overall response rate （ORR） was 85.98% （92/107）. The PCR rate and ORR of luminal A, luminal B, HER-2 and TNBC subtypes was 4.76% and 73.81%; 16.67% and 83.33%;17.65% and 100.00%; 30.00% and 96.67%, respectively. The PCR and ORR rate of HER-2/TNBC subtypes was higher than that of luminal A/B subtypes （P = 0.019, P = 0.002, respectively）. Conclusion： Different molecular subtypes display different response rate for patients with locally advanced breast cancer received neoadjuvant TE chemotherapy, HER-2JTNBC subtypes have a higher PCR and ORR rate than that of luminal NB subtypes.

The clinical significance of axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy in different clinical stages breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Objective： We aimed to study the success and false negative rate of sentinel lymph node biopsy （SLNB） in dif- ferent clinical stages breast cancer patients being carried out with neoadjuvant chemotherapy （NAC）, and the clinical signifi- cance of SLNB, we conducting this trial. Methods： One hunderd and thirty-seven cases were enrolled in this clinical research from March 2003 to March 2007. All of the patients＇ sentinel lymph nodes were detected with 99mTc-Dx and methylene blue. There were 61 patients with stage TI_2NoMo carried SLNB without NAC （group A）, 76 cases were carried out NAC 3-4 cycles before SLNB, including 39 T2_4N0_IMo cases （group B） and 27 T2-4N2_3M0 cases （group C）. The success and false negative rate of SLNB were analysed with chi-square test. Results： In group A, the successful and false negative rate of SLNB were 92.31% （36/39）, 8.57% （3/35）, and in group B and C were 92.31% （36/39）, 8.57% （3/35） and 74.07 % （20/27）, 18.52 % （5/27）, respectively. The successful rate of group C decreased and false negative rate increased significantly compared with group A and B （P 〈 0.05）, but group A and B had no significant difference （P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion： The SLNB can accurately predict lymph node status of axillary lymph node in N0-1 stage patients with NAC, but in N2-3 stage patients the success rate decreased and false rate increased negative significantly.

Investigation of the Effect of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Stage Ⅱ Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in treatment of Stage Ⅱ breast cancer. METHODS The data from 113 patients with breast cancer of the same pathologic type in Stage Ⅱ,during the period of 1995 to 2001,were analyzed retrospectively.Among the patients,47 were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and 66 received no adjuvant therapy before surgery（control group）.After the patients of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had received 2 courses of chemotherapy with the CMF regimen,the surgical procedure was conducted. RESULTS Complete remission（CR）was attained in 9 of the 47 cases receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and partial remission（PR）was reached for 22 cases.The rate of breast-conserving surgery was enhanced from 22.73%to 46.81%（P〈0.05）in the neoadjuvant treatment group. There was no difference in the 5-year overall survival（OS）and disease-free survival（DFS）rate between the two groups（P〉0.05）,but the 5-year OS and DFS of the cases with clinical tumor remission was higher compared to the control group（P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can enhance the rate of breast conservation for Stage Ⅱ breast cancer and may improve the prognosis of the cases with clinical remission.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparent diffusion coefficient before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer and its correlation with tumor load

Objective:To study the magnetic resonance imaging apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer and its correlation with tumor load.Methods: Patients with stage II-III breast cancer who intended to receive radical operation for breast cancer in our hospital between May 2015 and February 2018 were selected and divided into the experimental group who accepted neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the control group who received surgery directly according to the adoption of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy or not in the history data. Experimental group underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy to measure the ADC, and control group underwent magnetic resonance imaging before surgery to measure the ADC;the tumor tissues surgically removed from the two groups of patients were collected to measure the expression of oncogenes and invasion genes.Results:ADC value of experimental group after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was higher than that before neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ADC value of experimental group before neoadjuvant chemotherapy was not significantly different from that of control group whereas ADC value after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly higher than that of control group;MCM3, CyclinD1, TC-1,β-catenin, YAP and MMP2 mRNA expression levels in surgically removed tumor tissues of experimental group were significantly lower than those of control group whereas CCN5, ARID1A and PDCD4 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than those of control group;MCM3, CyclinD1, TC-1,β-catenin, YAP and MMP2 mRNA expression levels in tumor tissues with high ADC value were significantly lower than those in tumor tissues with low ADC value whereas CCN5, ARID1A and PDCD4 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than those in tumor tissues with low ADC value.Conclusion:The increase of ADC after breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy is related to the activity of cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and can be used to evaluate the changes of tumor load before and after chemotherapy.

Decrease in the Ki67 index during neoadjuvant chemotherapy predicts favorable relapse-free survival in patients with locally advanced breast cancer

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the optimal cutoffs of the three parameters of Ki67 during NAC for predicting patient prognosis and investigate whether the optimal cutoffs of the Ki67 values were associated with relapse-free survival(RFS) or breast cancer-specific survival(BCSS).Methods: A total of 92 patients with locally advanced breast cancer(LABC), who had residual disease after NAC were retrospectively investigated.The optimal cutoff values of the Ki67 parameters were assessed by the online algorithm Cutoff Finder.Kaplan-Meier analysis, the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were carried out to analyze survival.Results: The optimal cutoff values for the postsurgical Ki67 level and the decrease in the Ki67 level during NAC were defined as 25% and 12.5%, respectively.According to the univariate survival analysis, a higher Ki67 level in residual disease was associated with poor RFS(P = 0.004) and BCSS(P = 0.014).In addition, a Ki67 expression decrease > 12.5% during NAC was related to favorable RFS(P = 0.007), but was not related to BCSS(P = 0.452).Cox regression analysis showed that the Ki67 expression decrease(> 12.5% vs.≤ 12.5%) and histological grade(grade 3 vs.grade 1-2) were the independent factors associated with RFS(P =0.020 and P = 0.023, respectively), with HR values of 0.353(95% CI: 0.147-0.850) and 3.422(95% CI: 1.188-9.858), respectively.Conclusions: The Ki67 decrease was one of the independent factors associated with RFS in LABC patients with residual disease after receiving NAC.

Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy: A potential strategy for ER-positive breast cancer

A potential strategy for patients with estrogen receptor(ER)-positive breast cancer is necessary to replace neoadjuvant chemotherapy which has limited benefit.Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy(NAE)has been indicated to be a favorable alternate approach to downstage large or locally advanced breast cancer in ER-positive,human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-negative(ER+/HER2-)patients,especially postmenopausal women.Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of various endocrine agents in NAE.Aromatase inhibitors(AIs)have proven superiority over tamoxifen as a suitable choice to optimize treatment efficacy.Fulvestrant was recently reported as an effective agent,similar to AIs.Furthermore,the addition of targeted agents exerts synergistic antiproliferative effects with endocrine agents and rapidly improves response rates in both endocrine sensitive and resistant tumors.The neoadjuvant platform provides a unique opportunity to define the appropriate strategy and address the mechanisms of endocrine resistance.In addition,the predictive value of biomarkers and genomic assays in NAE is under investigation to evaluate individual effects and validate biomarker-based strategies.In this review,we discuss the most relevant evidence on the potential of NAE for ER+breast cancer.The current understanding also offers new insights into the identification of the optimal settings and valuable predictive tools of NAE to guide clinical treatment decisions and achieve beneficial therapeutic effects.

Association between HER2 status and response to neoadjuvant anthracycline followed by paclitaxel plus carboplatin chemotherapy without trastuzumab in breast cancer

Background： We recently showed HER2-positive breast cancers are less likely to respond to neoadjuvant anthracycline chemotherapy. Here, we investigated whether HER2-positive breast cancers responded to sequential neoadjuvant anthracycline followed by paclitaxel plus carboplatin regimen in the absence of trastuzumab. Methods： Women （n=372） with operable primary breast cancer initially received two cycles of neoadjuvant anthracyclines, the clinical tumor response was assessed, then patients were received four cycles of paelitaxel plus carboplatin regimen. All the patients did not received trastuzumab treatment in the neoadjuvant setting. HER2 status was determined by immunohistochemistry and/or by fluorescence in situ hybridization in core- biopsy breast cancer tissue obtained before the neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results： Eighteen percent （67/372） of patients achieved a pathologic complete response （pCR） in their breast. HER2-positive tumors had a significant higher pCR rate than HER2-negative tumors （33.0% versus 13.5%, P〈0.001） in this cohort of 372 patients, and positive HER2 status remained an independent favorable predictor of pCR in a multivariate analysis [odds ratio （OR）, 2.26; 95% confidence interval （CI）, 1.18 to 4.36, P=0.015]. Furthermore, patients who responded to initial anthracycline regimens were more likely to respond to paclitaxel plus carboplatin than patients who did not （pCR, 27.2% versus 14.6%, P=0.005）. Patients with HER2-positive tumors exhibited a significant higher pCR rate than did patients with HER2- negative tumors in both anthracycline response group （40.5% versus 20.0%, P=0.025） and anthracycline non-response group （28.3% versus 11.3 %, P=0.002）. Conclusions： Under the circumstance of no trastuzumab treatment, women with HER2-positive cancers derive a large benefit from paclitaxel-carboplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer evaluated using strain ultrasonic elastography

BACKGROUND The incidence of breast cancer in China is increasing while its mortality rate is decreasing.The annual breast cancer incidence in China is 39.2 million,accounting for two-thirds of the urban population.In China,breast cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumor overall and the most common in women,accounting for 17%of female malignant tumors.AIM To investigate the accuracy of strain ultrasound elastography(SUE)on the evaluation of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)in breast cancer.METHODS Overall,90 patients with breast cancer treated at our hospital between January 2018 and February 2019 were selected for this study.The patients received six cycles of NAC with docetaxel,epirubicin,and cyclophosphamide.Surgical treatment was also performed,and pathological reactivity was assessed.The patients were evaluated using conventional ultrasonography and SUE before biopsy.The differences between groups were analyzed to calculate the mean and standard deviation with significance measured using a t-test,while multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis.RESULTS Of the patients analyzed,20 had a pathological complete remission(pCR)while 70 did not achieve pCR after NAC.The ratio of the elastic strain ratio(SR)and elastic score of 4–5 in patients with pCR were 5.5±1.16 and 15.00%,respectively;these were significantly lower than those in patients without pCR(85%)and significantly higher than in patients without pCR(14%).SR and elastic score 4–5 were independent factors influencing NAC efficacy(OR=0.644,1.426 and 1.366,respectively,P<0.05).SR was positively correlated with elasticity score(rs=0.411,P<0.05).The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of SR and SR combined with elastic score in predicting patients without pCR was 0.822 and 0.891,respectively(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Strain ultrasonic elastography may be used to evaluate the effects of preoperative NAC in patients with breast cancer.

Application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib in occult breast cancer:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Occult breast cancer(OBC)is a special type of breast cancer presenting as axillary lymph node metastasis with undetectable primary lesions in the breast.Due to its low incidence and unique clinical manifestations,there is a lack of consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of OBC.We report a case of OBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib.The treatment was well tolerated,and the patient achieved a pathologic complete response.CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old woman presented with a lump in her right axillary area with no primary lesions in the breast.Pathological biopsy confirmed right axillary metastatic carcinoma.Immunohistochemical staining results were positive for progesterone receptor,cytokeratin 7,specific breast markers GATA3 and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15.Tumor cells were negative for estrogen receptor,human epidermal growth factor receptor-2,cytokeratin 5/6,cytokeratin 20,and villin.The patient was diagnosed with OBC,and she underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib.Mastectomy plus axillary lymph node dissection was performed.The patient achieved pathologic complete response with no residual invasive tumor cells in the breast or axillary lymph nodes.Postoperatively,she received adjuvant radiotherapy and endocrine therapy.CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and anlotinib had good efficacy and safety in the treatment of OBC and may be a new therapeutic option.

Effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on respiratory function in patients with breast cancer

Objective: To evaluate changes in chest X-rays, pulmonary function tests(PFTs) and quality of life in female breast cancer patients who had been treated with four cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of a regimen of cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil(CEF regimen), and to determine the correlation between pulmonary function parameters and declined quality of life.Methods: Twenty-nine eligible female patients diagnosed with breast cancer at the first visit who were 20-60 years old, were classified as the American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) Ⅰ-Ⅱ and patients whose body mass index(BMI) <30 kg/m^2 were recruited and subjected to chest X-ray examinations, PFTs and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30(EORTC QLQ-C30)questionnaire before and after receiving 4 cycles of the CEF regimen.Results: In this study, chest X-rays showed no abnormal changes after chemotherapy, but significant decreases in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity(DLCO) and percentage of the DLCO predicted value(DLCO%)(P<0.001). A significant increase in maximal ventilatory volume(MVV)(P=0.004) was observed, and most patients experienced dyspnea(P=0.031) and fatigue(P<0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between the changes in these PFTs parameters and the results of the EORTC QLQ-C30(P>0.05).Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can reduce lung diffusion function and quality of life in females with breast cancer.