Favorable response to doxorubicin combination chemotherapy does not yield good clinical outcome in patients with metastatic breast cancer with triple-negative phenotype
- Open Access
- 01.12.2010
- Research article
Abstract
Background
Methods
Patients
Immunohistochemistry and molecular classification
Statistical analysis
Results
Patient cohort
HR+ (N = 71) | HER2+ (N = 14) | TN (N = 25) |
P value
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Clinical characteristics at initial diagnosis
| ||||
Median age | 43.8 (30-69) | 49.5 (33-65) | 47.0 (24-77) |
.398
A
|
Initial stage | ||||
I | 9 (12.7%) | 1 (7.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | |
II | 23 (32.4%) | 4 (28.6%) | 11 (44.0%) | |
III | 11 (15.5%) | 2 (14.3%) | 2 (8.0%) | |
IV | 25 (35.2%) | 6 (42.9%) | 9 (36.0%) |
.951
B
|
unknown | 3 (4.2%) | 1 (7.1%) | 1 (4.0%) | |
Familial History | 16 (23.5%) | 4 (28.6%) | 7 (29.2%) |
.829
B
|
DFI after surgery (median) | 47.6 months | 40.6 months | 38.7 months |
0.231 by log-rank test
|
Tumor characteristics
| ||||
B-R.Gr. III (n = 69) | 17 (37.8%) | 2 (25.0%) | 14 (87.5%) |
*.001
B
|
P53 <5% (n = 93) | 32 (55.2%) | 7 (50.0%) | 9 (42.9%) |
.621
B
|
Ki 67 >50% (n = 25) | 5 (31.3%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (85.7%) |
*.013
B
|
Previous (neoadjuvant or adjuvant) treatments
| ||||
Curative surgery. | 45 (63.4%) | 8 (57.1%) | 15 (60.0%) |
.888
B
|
Neoadju-CTx | 3 (4.2%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (4.0%) |
.573
B
|
Adjuvant CTx | 35 (49.3%) | 7 (50.0%) | 12 (48.0%) |
.991
B
|
Adjuvant doxorubicin | 6 (17.1%) | 1 (14.3%) | 0 (0%) |
.048
B
|
Adjuvant HormoTx | 43 (60.6%) | 0 | 0 |
< 0.0001
B
|
Distant Metastases
| ||||
Lung | 49 (74.2%) | 11 (84.6%) | 15 (62.5%) |
0.316
|
Pleura | 41 (57.8%) | 8 (57.4%) | 10 (45.5%) | 0.216 |
Liver | 33 (52.4%) | 11 (84.6%) | 10 (45.5%) |
0.046
|
Brain | 11 (17.7%) | 3 (23.1%) | 6 (27.3%) | 0.629 |
Bone | 36 (50.7%) | 8 (57.1%) | 10 (40.0%) |
0.283
|
Skin | 14 (19.7%) | 1 (7.1%) | 9 (36%) |
0.081
|
Soft tissue | 22 (31.0%) | 1 (7.1%) | 6 (24.0%) | 0.120 |
Next treatment after AC chemotherapy
| ||||
Median number of CTx (range) | 3 (0-11) | 2 (0-8) | 1 (0-7) |
0.006
|
Number of patients with HormoTx (%) | 17 (24%) | 0 | 0 |
0.001
|
Number of patients with trastuzumab Tx (%) | 5 (7.0%) | 4 (28.6%) | 0 |
0.009
|
Treatment responses
Total (n = 105) | HR (n = 68) | HER2 (n = 14) | TN (n = 23) |
p
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median cycles | 6.0 (1-12) | 5.9 (1-12) | 4.8 (1-9) | 5.6 (1-9) | 0.454 |
Response | |||||
CR | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
PR | 55 | 36 | 6 | 13 | |
SD | 25 | 19 | 3 | 4 | |
PD | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | |
Not evaluable | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Overall response rate | 57 (54.3%) | 38 (55.9%) | 6 (42.9%) | 13 (56.5%) | 0.542 |
Survival analysis
Progression-free survival (PFS)
Overall survival
Time-to-Death (TTD) from the end of AC chemotherapy
Multivariate analysis for survival
P value | Hazard Ratio (HR) | 95% CI | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Triple negativity |
0.011
|
2.03
| 1.17 | 3.51 |
HER2 positivity |
0.027
|
1.86
| 1.07 | 3.22 |