Chemotherapy is of prognostic significance to metaplastic breast cancer

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the significance of chemotherapy (CT) among metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC), and to compare the survival outcomes between triple negative MpBC (MpBC-TNBC) and triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC-TNBC). SEER database was indexed to identify female unilateral primary MpBC diagnosed from 2010 to 2017. Patients were classified into neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with response (NAC-response), NAC-no response, adjuvant chemotherapy, and no CT. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Cox regression was used to evaluate the independent prognostic factors. A 1:4 propensity score matching method was adopted to balance baseline differences. Altogether 1186 MpBC patients were enrolled, among them 181 received NAC, 647 received adjuvant CT and 358 did not receive any CT. Chemotherapy was an independent favorable prognostic factor. NAC-response and adjuvant CT had a significant or an obvious trend of survival improvement compared with NAC-no response or no CT. MpBC-TNBC was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor compared with IDC-TNBC. Among them, there was significant or trend of survival improvement among all TNBCs receiving NAC or adjuvant CT compared with no CT. Chemotherapy was of important significance to MpBC prognosis and should be integrated in comprehensive treatment for MpBC.