An analysis of response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer with emphasis on pathological complete response

Context: In India, most breast cancer women present at a locally advanced stage. Routine practice in majority of the cancer centers is to administer neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by loco-regional treatment. Surgery is scheduled after 3 or 4 cycles. The patients who achieve pathological complete response (pCR) are expected do well. Aims: The present study was conducted to analyze our results with NACT, to know pCR rate, to compare pCR rates among various subgroups and to determine the factors which predict pCR. Settings And Design: The study was conducted in a tertiary care university affiliated cancer hospital in South India. Subjects And Methods: All patients with non-metastatic locally advanced breast cancer and agreed by the hospital tumor board to receive NACT were included. At each visit, response was assessed according to RECIST criteria. Re-staging work up and mammography was done prior to surgery. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi square test was used to analyze categorical variables and uni and multivariate analysis were performed to determine the factors predicting pCR rates. Results: A total of 84 patients received NACT. Median age was 46 years (ranged from 28 to 66), 46 patients were premenopausal. Totally 72 patients completed the full course before surgery. Clinical response was complete in 26, partial in 52 and 3 had local progression, one stable and two patient developed distant metastasis. Forty-eight patients underwent modified radical mastectomy and breast could be conserved in 34 patients, pCR rate was 36%. Conclusions: Compared with historical controls particularly from India, we could achieve higher pCR rates.