ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: and Purpose: Post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) is usually indicated for patients with breast cancer (BC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and surgery. However, the optimal timing to initiation of PORT is currently unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data from patients with BC who received PORT after NAC and surgery at our institution from 2008 to 2014. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the time between surgery and PORT: <8 weeks, 8-16 weeks and >16 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 581 patients were included; 74% had clinical stage III. Forty-three patients started PORT within 8 weeks, 354 between 8 and 16 weeks and 184 beyond 16 weeks from surgery. With a median follow-up of 32 months, initiation of PORT up to 8 weeks after surgery was associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) (<8 weeks versus 8-16 weeks: HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.13-0.81; p = 0.02; <8 weeks versus >16 weeks: HR 0.38; 95% CI 0.15-0.96; p = 0.04) and better overall survival (OS) (<8 weeks versus 8-16 weeks: HR 0.22; 95% CI 0.05-0.90; p = 0.036; <8 weeks versus >16 weeks: HR 0.28; 95% CI 0.07-1.15; p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: PORT started up to 8 weeks after surgery was associated with better DFS and OS in locally-advanced BC patients submitted to NAC. Our findings suggest that early initiation of PORT is critically important for these patients. However, the low numbers of patients and events in this study prevent us from drawing firm conclusions.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Mastectomy/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/mortality , Breast Neoplasms/surgery , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/methods , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Middle Aged , Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant/methods , Retrospective Studies , Survival Rate , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Weekly paclitaxel has been shown more effective and less toxic than the conventional three-weekly administration. The GEICAM 9906 demonstrated effectiveness and safety of a dose-dense schedule of 100 mg/m(2) of paclitaxel given over 8 weeks (w). This schedule has been adopted at our institution in 2009 for HER2-negative disease, and herein, we present the first off-trial experience and compare its safety profile with that of a historical cohort of patients treated with the conventional 80 mg/m(2) over 12 w schedule. METHODS: Retrospective single-center chart review of patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with (neo)adjuvant paclitaxel-based therapy from 2008 to 2012 with (1) 80 mg/m(2) for 12 w or (2) 100 mg/m(2) for 8 w. Adverse events were graded according to common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) 4.0. RESULTS: A total of 326 patients were analyzed. Median age was 52 (±10.9). Seventy and 256 patients received schedule (1) and (2), respectively. No significant difference was observed in the incidence of grade (G) 3/4 toxicity: pneumonitis (2.8 vs 0.3 % p = 0.097); neuropathy (2.8 vs 0.7 % p = 0.303); hand-foot syndrome (1.4 vs 0.3 % p = 0.538); anemia (0 vs 0.6 % p = 0.624); and neutropenia (5.7 vs 6.2 % p = 0.408). Also, no significant difference was seen when comparing all grades toxicity. Schedule (2) had higher dose intensity: 97.72 vs 77.07 mg/m(2) per week (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Weekly paclitaxel given according to GEICAM 9906 is pragmatic and well tolerated, with safety profile consistent with the conventional schedule. In addition to being convenient to patients, it may also be cost-effective because of a lower number of clinic visits and infusions.
