Response Rate Of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Research Articles

Optimizing treatment sequence for inoperable locally advanced breast cancer: Long-term outcomes of surgery first versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a real-world setting.

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is challenging with limited treatment options. This study investigates the feasibility and long-term outcomes of upfront surgery compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a real-world cohort. This retrospective study analyzed 243 inoperable LABC patients (excluding T3N1M0) that underwent upfront surgery (n = 187) or NAC (n = 56) in matched groups. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) are primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included NAC response rate and subgroup analyses based on age, tumor stage, and treatment response. Survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods with log-rank tests for comparisons. Cox proportional hazards models were used for subgroup analyses. With a median follow-up of 60.9 months, no significant difference emerged in 5-year OS (upfront surgery: 89.6%, NAC: 81.9%, p = .12) or 5-year DFS rates (73.0% vs. 67.1%, p = .24). Subgroup analyses revealed upfront surgery offered significantly better OS for patients under 60 (HR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.10-0.96; p = .0429) and stage IIIA disease (HR = 0.22; CI: 0.06-0.86; p = .03). Upfront surgery showed a trend towards improved OS for tumors under 5 cm (HR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.13-1.03; p = .056). Patients with progressive disease (PD) or stable disease (SD) after NAC had significantly worse DFS (HR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.09-0.79; p = .017) and OS (HR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02-0.48; p = .004) compared to responders. Upfront surgery may be viable for LABC patients, particularly younger patients, those with stage IIIA disease, or smaller tumors. NAC response can inform treatment decisions. These findings highlight the need for personalized LABC treatment considering patient characteristics and NAC response.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma in 25 cases

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in the treatment of locally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), and to explore the factors related to the efficacy of NACT. Methods: A total of 25 patients with ONB who underwent NACT in Beijing TongRen Hospital from April 2017 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 16 males and 9 females, with an average age of 44.9 years (ranged 26-72 years). There were 22 cases of Kadish stage C and 3 cases of stage D. After multiple disciplinary team(MDT) discussion, all patients were treated sequentially with NACT-surgery-radiotherapy. Among them, 17 cases were treated with taxol, cis-platinum and etoposide (TEP), 4 cases with taxol, nedaplatin and ifosfamide (TPI), 3 cases with TP, while 1 case with EP. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis, and survival analyses were calculated based on the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The overall response rate of NACT was 32% (8/25). Subsequently, 21 patients underwent extended endoscopic surgery and 4 patients underwent combined cranial-nasal approach. Three patients with stage D disease underwent cervical lymph node dissection. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 44.2 months (ranged 6-67 months). The 5-year overall survival rate was 100.0%, and the 5-year disease-free survival rates was 94.4%. Before NACT, Ki-67 index was 60% (50%, 90%), while Ki-67 index was 20% (3%, 30%) after chemotherapy [M (Q1, Q3)]. The change of Ki-67 before and after NACT was statistically significant (Z=-24.24, P<0.05). The effects of age, gender, history of surgery, Hyams grade, Ki-67 index and chemotherapy regimen to NACT were analyzed. Ki-67 index≥25% and high Hyams grade were related to the efficacy of NACT (all P<0.05). Conclusions: NACT could reduce Ki-67 index in ONBs. High Ki-67 index and Hyams grade are clinical indicators sensitive to the efficacy of NACT. NACT-surgery-radiotherapy is effective for patients with locally advanced ONB.

Role of KI67 in response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in hormonal positive breast cancer

Introduction: A pathological complete response (pCR) after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy indicates that the outlook for individuals with breast cancer is encouraging. identifying factors, for instance the growth biomarker Ki67, that could forecast pCR, can be useful for improving understanding how drug reaction affects outcome. This research aims to evaluate Ki67's prognostic as well as prediction utility in infiltrating breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant treatment. Methods: After fixation and embedding, the researchers performed Ki67 staining on core biopsies taken from 552 patients. They also evaluated HER2/neu, oestrogen, progesterone receptors, and graded the samples prior to therapy. They created both univariate and multivariate models to forecast pCR and prognosis using this data. They also divided the tumors into various molecular phenotypes in order to find possible subgroups in which Ki67 could be used to forecast pCR and prognosis. Results: The researchers discovered that Ki67 was a significant autonomous pCR predictor (OR 4; 94.7% CI, 1.3 , 9), overall survival (HR 9; 96% CI, 4 to 21), and survival without illness (HR 3; 96% CI, 2 to 6) utilizing a cut-off value of &gt; 14% positive neoplasic cell staining.

Cell-Free Urine and Plasma DNA Mutational Analysis Predicts Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response and Outcome in Patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

To investigate the use of plasma and urine DNA mutation analysis for predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response and oncological outcome in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Whole-exome sequencing of tumor and germline DNA was performed for 92 patients treated with NAC followed by radical cystectomy (RC). A custom NGS-panel capturing approximately 50 mutations per patient was designed and used to track mutated tumor DNA in plasma and urine. A total of 447 plasma samples, 281 urine supernatants, and 123 urine pellets collected before, during, and after treatment were analyzed. Patients were enrolled from 2013 to 2019, with a median follow-up time of 41.3 months after RC. We identified tumor DNA before NAC in 89% of urine supernatants, 85% of urine pellets, and 43% of plasma samples. Tumor DNA levels were higher in urine supernatants and urine pellets compared with plasma samples (P < 0.001). In plasma, detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before NAC was associated with a lower NAC response rate (P < 0.001). Detection of tumor DNA after NAC was associated with lower response rates in plasma, urine supernatant, and urine pellet (P < 0.001, P = 0.03, P = 0.002). Tumor DNA dynamics during NAC was predictive of NAC response and outcome in urine supernatant and plasma (P = 0.006 and P = 0.002). A combined measure from plasma and urine supernatant tumor DNA dynamics stratified patients by outcome (P = 0.003). Analysis of tumor DNA in plasma and urine samples both separately and combined has a potential to predict treatment response and outcome.

Feasibility and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy without Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Objectives: This retrospective study explored the feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) without radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Patients with clinical stage of T3-T4 and/or N-positive LARC patients were included. We retrospectively analyzed patients' NAC-related and perioperative outcomes. Results: The study enrolled 30 patients. mFOLFOX6 or SOX plus cetuximab was administered to 12 patients with the wild-type RAS gene and FOLFOXIRI or SOXIRI to 18 patients with mutant-type RAS. The NAC completion rate was 90.0%. All patients underwent total mesorectal excision, and 29 patients underwent combined bilateral lateral lymph node dissection. The R0 operation rate was 90.0%. Although the postoperative complication rate was 40%, no complications were associated with NAC. The response rate of NAC and the proportion of histological anti-tumor effect grade ≥ 2 were 56.7% and 46.7%, respectively. Conclusions: NAC was considered to be a safe, feasible treatment option for LARC.

Bulk and Single-Cell Profiling of Breast Tumors Identifies TREM-1 as a Dominant Immune Suppressive Marker Associated With Poor Outcomes.

BackgroundTriggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a key mediator of innate immunity previously associated with the severity of inflammatory disorders, and more recently, the inferior survival of lung and liver cancer patients. Here, we investigated the prognostic impact and immunological correlates of TREM1 expression in breast tumors.MethodsBreast tumor microarray and RNAseq expression profiles (n=4,364 tumors) were analyzed for associations between gene expression, tumor immune subtypes, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Single-cell (sc)RNAseq was performed using the 10X Genomics platform. Statistical associations were assessed by logistic regression, Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, Spearman correlation, Student’s t-test and Chi-square test.ResultsIn pre-treatment biopsies, TREM1 and known TREM-1 inducible cytokines (IL1B, IL8) were discovered by a statistical ranking procedure as top genes for which high expression was associated with reduced response to NAC, but only in the context of immunologically “hot” tumors otherwise associated with a high NAC response rate. In surgical specimens, TREM1 expression varied among tumor molecular subtypes, with highest expression in the more aggressive subtypes (Basal-like, HER2-E). High TREM1 significantly and reproducibly associated with inferior distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), independent of conventional prognostic markers. Notably, the association between high TREM1 and inferior DMFS was most prominent in the subset of immunogenic tumors that exhibited the immunologically hot phenotype and otherwise associated with superior DMFS. Further observations from bulk and single-cell RNAseq analyses indicated that TREM1 expression was significantly enriched in polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) and M2-like macrophages, and correlated with downstream transcriptional targets of TREM-1 (IL8, IL-1B, IL6, MCP-1, SPP1, IL1RN, INHBA) which have been previously associated with pro-tumorigenic and immunosuppressive functions.ConclusionsTogether, these findings indicate that increased TREM1 expression is prognostic of inferior breast cancer outcomes and may contribute to myeloid-mediated breast cancer progression and immune suppression.

Clinical Significance of Endoscopic Response Evaluation to Predict the Distribution of Residual Tumor after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

To appropriately adopt the organ preservation approach, including subsequent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients who respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), the distribution of residual disease, including pathological lymph nodes (LNs) and recurrence site, needs to be recognized preoperatively. This study was designed to evaluate whether endoscopic response evaluation can predict residual tumor distribution. Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) were retrospectively reviewed. Endoscopic responder (ER) to NAC was defined according to primary tumor endoscopic findings. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and residual tumor patterns were compared between groups. Of 193 patients, 40 (20%) were classified as ER. ERs showed significantly better RFS and OS. The pN location was found within the primary tumor and cN field in 88% of ERs, which was significantly higher than non-ERs at 63% (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the postoperative recurrence incidence in the distant organ was significantly lower in the ERs than the non-ERs (8%, 32%, respectively, p = 0.002). Residual disease, including postoperative initial recurrence, existed within the same field as the primary tumor and cN in 88% of ERs, significantly higher than 42% in the non-ERs (p < 0.001). Endoscopic response evaluation can preoperatively predict distribution of residual tumors after NAC, which could help radiation field selection in subsequent definitive CRT when patients prefer to omit TTE. Along with improvements in NAC response rate, this could facilitate organ preservation in patients who respond to NAC.

A phase II study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by organ preservation in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

ObjectiveConservative approaches in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have been evolved to avoid aggressive surgery, but are limited to elderly, frail, and patients medically unfit for surgery. Our study aimed to assess the response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before radiotherapy (RT) in MIBC patients. MethodsForty patients with urothelial carcinoma of stage T2–T4a, N0, M0 were enrolled between November 2013 and November 2015, and treated with three cycles of NACT with gemcitabine-cisplatin. Post-NACT response was assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Patients who achieved complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) >50% were treated with radical RT, and those who had PR <50%, stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) underwent radical cystectomy (RC). Survival analysis was done with Kaplan-Meier method and point-to-time events were analyzed with Cox-proportional hazards regression model. ResultsAfter NACT, 35 (87.5%) patients achieved either PR >50% or CR, and were treated with RT. Five (12.5%) patients who had PR <50%, SD, or PD underwent RC. All patients who received radiation showed CR after 6 weeks. Median follow-up was 43 months (range: 10–66 months) and median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Three-year OS, local control, and disease-free survival were 70.1%, 60.9%, 50.6%, respectively, and 50% of patients preserved their functioning bladder. Three-year OS rate was 88.9% in patients who achieved CR to NACT, 73.1% in patients with PR ≥50% and 40% in patients with PR <50%. ConclusionNACT followed by RT provides a high probability of local response with bladder preservation in CR patients. Appropriate use of this treatment regimen in carefully selected patients may omit the need for morbid surgery.

Quantity and Quality of Skeletal Muscle as an Important Predictor of Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Esophagectomy after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Sarcopenia was previously linked to clinical outcomes for several cancer types, including esophageal cancer (EC), but most studies only measured the quantity of skeletal muscle mass. We aim to assess the clinical significance of evaluating the quantity and quality of skeletal muscle in patients with EC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by esophagectomy. We included 333 consecutive patients with EC who underwent NAC followed by esophagectomy. The psoas muscle index (PMI) and intracellular muscle adipose tissue content (IMAC) were measured by computed tomography. We defined low PMI combined with high IMAC as severe sarcopenia, and assessed its impact on clinical outcomes. Thirty-seven patients (11.1%) had severe sarcopenia. Compared with patients without severe sarcopenia, those with severe sarcopenia showed a significantly worse NAC response rate (54.1% vs 74.7%; P = 0.008), worse pathological response rate (24.3% vs 40.2%, P = 0.061), higher morbidity rate (67.6% vs 38.5%; P = 0.001), particularly for pneumonia (32.4% vs 14.9% P = 0.007) and expectoration disorder (37.8% vs 13.5% P < 0.001), and unfavorable survival (3-year overall survival rate: 54.1% vs 66.6% P = 0.027). Multivariable analysis of overall survival showed that severe sarcopenia (HR 1.68, P = 0.025) and cT (HR 1.52, P = 0.032) were independent prognostic factors of poor outcome. PMI combined with IMAC represents a new criterion for sarcopenia that might be useful for predicting NAC response, postoperative complications, and long-term survival in patients with EC undergoing multidisciplinary treatments.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel Regimen for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer with Arterial Involvement: A Prospective Multicenter Single-Arm Phase II Study Protocol.

Introduction:Although neoadjuvant treatment is recommended for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC), no standard neoadjuvant regimen has been established for BRPC with arterial involvement (BRPC-A), which is associated with a higher risk of margin-positive resection and poorer prognosis than BRPC with only venous involvement. Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) has been reported to significantly reduce tumor size in metastatic pancreatic cancer, and some retrospective studies suggested that neoadjuvant GnP for BRPC improved resectability and survival.Methods and analysis:A prospective multicenter single-arm phase II study is conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GnP as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BRPC-A. The primary endpoint is the R0 resection rate. The secondary endpoints are the neoadjuvant chemotherapy response rate, resection rate, pathological response rate, incidence rate of adverse events, and quality of life.Ethics and dissemination:This study protocol was approved by the institutional review board of Kyushu University (no. 181). The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at medical meetings.Highlights:Strategy for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer involving arteries (BRPC-A).There is no standard regimen for neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BRPC-A.Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) shows significant tumor shrinkage.Neoadjuvant GnP for BRPC-A increases resectability and margin-negative resection.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy versus primary surgery for management of esophageal carcinoma: a retrospective study.

There is no consensus about the combined therapeutic strategy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in China. The quality control and standardization of surgery procedures were far from satisfactory in past neoadjuvant chemotherapy trials, which may underestimate the survival benefits. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the survival benefit of paclitaxel plus platinum followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy with total two-field lymphadenectomy patterns versus primary surgery. Between 06/2011 and 12/2014, there were 279 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy with total two-field lymphadenectomy; 83 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 196 primary surgery. Propensity score matching was used to compare neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients and 76 matched primary surgery patients. Effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adverse events, complications after the operation, and survival rates were evaluated. After propensity score matching, and compared with primary surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly associated with a better survival (P = 0.049). The overall clinical response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 77.1%. The pathological response rate was 20.5%. There was no significant difference in complication rates between two groups. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus platinum followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy and total two-field lymphadenectomy have better OS over the primary surgery without serious adverse events.

Prognostic function of Ki-67 for pathological complete response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has fluctuating pathological complete response (pCR) rates to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) according to published reports. Biomarkers predicting pCR rates of NAC would improve TNBC patients' outcomes. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the prognostic function of Ki-67 in relation to pCR rates of NAC in TNBC. Relevant publications in the literature from January 2006 to March 2013 were selected by searching PubMed, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. The quality of prognostic studies was evaluated according to the standard reported by Hayden et al. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the prognostic function of Ki-67 for pCR rates in TNBC. The fail-safe number was used to detect possible publication bias. Review Manager and MIX software was used to merge extracted data. The pCR rate of TNBC with high Ki-67 expression was 3.36 times that of low Ki-67 expression TNBC. The merged RR was 3.36 (95% CI: 1.61-7.02) and the fail-safe number was 34. No obvious publication bias but heterogeneity of the case series was detected. Ki-67 was a predictor of pCR rates to NAC in TNBC.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus upfront surgery in non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BackgroundThe favorable effect of postoperative chemotherapy on long-term survival has been well acknowledged in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains obscure. This meta-analysis enrolling high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed at comparing NAC followed by surgery with upfront surgery (US) in efficacy and safety among non-metastatic NSCLC patients.Materials and MethodsRelevant literatures were searched systematically from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. We also screened references of relevant publications and conference proceedings. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), 3-year and 5-year survival rates, mortality, and recurrence. Secondary outcomes included tumor-free (R0) resection rates, response rate, and postoperative complications. Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity was further conducted.ResultsA total of 11 eligible RCTs comparing NAC (n = 1624) with US (n = 1639) and published from 1998 to 2013 were included. Compared to US, NAC contributed to longer OS and DFS, higher 3-year and 5-year DFS rates, and lower incidences of total mortality, overall recurrence and metastasis, and tended to cause higher 5-year OS rates. NAC was associated with reduced risks in recurrence compared to US. Patients receiving NAC had lower surgery and resection rates, but higher R0 resection incidence among resected cases. NAC especially benefited occident patients. The overall NAC response rate was 52.1%, and NAC-related toxicity rate was 58.3%.ConclusionNAC may provide better survival, reduced recurrence, and improved R0 resection rates among NSCLC patients who had surgery, especially in occident patients. Further studies are needed to clarify the ethnic differences.

Predictive and Prognostic significance of high-sensitivity modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (HS-mGPS) in advanced gastric cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Objective: To study the predictive and prognostic significance of high-sensitivity modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (HS-mGPS) on the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. Methods: 117 patients with advanced gastric cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with SOX (oxaliplatin+ S1) or mFOLFOX 6(oxaliplatin+ CF+ 5-FU) regimen. HS-mGPS was calculated according to blood C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and serum albumin (ALB) level. The correlation between HS-mGPS and clinicopathological characteristics was determined and the predictors of survival were analyzed. Results: 117 patients with stage ⅡB (43 cases), stage Ⅲ (60), and stage Ⅳ (14) received preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The overall response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 61.5%(72/117), and the tumor control rate was 88.0% (103/117), with a pathological response rate of 91.5% (107/117). The R0 resection rate was 81.2% (95/117). The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 21.0 (95% CI 6.4-35.6) months. The median overall survival (OS) was 39.0 (95% CI 21.4-56.6) months. Higher HS-mGPS was associated with higher T stage, local lymph-node metastasis, distant metastasis, lower chemotherapy overall response rate and lower pathological response rate (all P<0.05). The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis showed that higher HS-mGPS, presence of local lymph-node metastasis and non R0 resection were associated with poorer DFS and OS (P<0.05). Conclusion: HS-mGPS can be used to predict the benefits of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and as an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

A phase III, multicenter randomized controlled trial of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy paclitaxel plus cisplatin versus surgery alone for stage IIA-IIIB esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The survival benefits of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for esophagus squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. The surgical procedure was not well defined in NAC strategy, in past trials. The different surgical procedure and different levels of lymphadenectomy may decrease the survival benefits from NAC. The new chemotherapy regimen with paclitaxel is promising. The purpose of this study is to confirm the superiority of paclitaxel, cisplatin and McKeown esophagectomy with total two-field lymphadenectomy compared with surgery alone for ESCC. A two-arm phase III trial was launched in June 2015. A total of 528 patients will be recruited from eight Chinese institutions within 2.5 years. The overall survival (OS) is the primary endpoint, and the secondary endpoints include disease-free survival (DFS), R0 resection rate, complication rate, perioperation mortality, days of hospitalization, quality of life (QOL), NAC response rate, pathologic response rate, toxicities of NAC, prognostic factors, predictive factors, progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events. The study will provide the final conclusion of NAC for ESCC in China. NCT02442440 (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/).

Efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical surgery in patients with bulky stage II cervical squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveIn order to evaluate the usefulness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with cisplatin and taxol (PT) follow radical surgery for stage II cervical squamous cell carcinoma with a bulky mass. Materials and methodsWe retrospectively compared patients receiving NAC with PT followed by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (RS) (NAC group) with patients only underwent RS without NAC (ORS group). Enrolled 35 patients with FIGO stage II markedly bulky in the NAC group and 30 such patients in the ORS group from January 2011 to December 2013. All patients histopathology were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The surgical profiles and complications, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the groups. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, BMI, tumor size, and FIGO stage. The response rate of NAC with PT was 82.8%. The two groups also had similar in operative time, blood transfusion. However, the estimated blood loss in ORS group was significantly higher compared to that in NAC group (P = 0.04). hospital stay of NAC group was shorter compared to ORS group (P = 0.03). The 3-year DFS rates were 84.9% and 65.6%, respectively, in the NAC and ORS groups. NAC significantly prolonged DFS (log-rank test, P = 0.03). Moreover, the OS tended to be longer in the NAC group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance (log-rank test, P = 0.287). ConclusionsNAC with PT follow radical surgery was confirmed to prolong disease-free survival, as compared with radical hysterectomy alone. The results of this study suggest that NAC with PT might be a useful adjunct to surgery in the treatment of stage II SCC presenting as a bulky mass.

Prognostic function of Ki-67 for pathological complete response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has fluctuating pathological complete response (pCR) rates to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) according to published reports. Biomarkers predicting pCR rates of NAC would improve TNBC patients' outcomes. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the prognostic function of Ki-67 in relation to pCR rates of NAC in TNBC. Relevant publications in the literature from January 2006 to March 2013 were selected by searching PubMed, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. The quality of prognostic studies was evaluated according to the standard reported by Hayden et al. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the prognostic function of Ki-67 for pCR rates in TNBC. The fail-safe number was used to detect possible publication bias. Review Manager and MIX software was used to merge extracted data. The pCR rate of TNBC with high Ki-67 expression was 3.36 times that of low Ki-67 expression TNBC. The merged RR was 3.36 (95% CI: 1.61-7.02) and the fail-safe number was 34. No obvious publication bias but heterogeneity of the case series was detected. Ki-67 was a predictor of pCR rates to NAC in TNBC.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer reduces surgical risks and lymph-vascular space involvement

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), which can reduce the size and therefore increase the resectability of tumors, has recently evolved as a treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. NACT has been reported to decrease the risk of pathologic factors related to prognosis of cervical cancer. To further assess the effects of NACT on surgery and the pathologic characteristics of cervical cancer, we reviewed 110 cases of locally advanced cervical cancer treated with radical hysterectomy with or without NACT at the People's Hospital of Peking University between January 2006 and December 2010. Of 110 patients, 68 underwent platinum-based NACT prior to surgery (NACT group) and 42 underwent primary surgery treatment (PST group). Our results showed 48 of 68 (70.6%) patients achieved a complete response or partial response to NACT. Estimated blood loss, operation time, and number of removed lymph nodes during surgery, as well as complication rates during and after surgery were not significantly different between the NACT group and the PST group. The rates of deep stromal invasion, positive parametria, positive surgical vaginal margins, and lymph node metastasis were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the rate of lymph-vascular space involvement (LVSI) was significantly lower in the NACT group than in the PST group (P = 0.021). In addition, the response rate of NACT was significantly higher in the patients with chemotherapeutic drugs administrated via artery than via vein. Our results suggest that NACT is a safe and effective treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer and significantly decreases the rate of LVSI.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy plus postoperative chemotherapy but no radiotherapy for Stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer—Irinotecan and platinum chemotherapy

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical hysterectomy plus postoperative chemotherapy but no radiotherapy for stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer. Methods Forty-six consecutive patients with stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer were treated with NAC followed by radical hysterectomy plus postoperative chemotherapy. Median (range) body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 20.2 (16.2–26.4). Regimens for NAC and postoperative chemotherapy were irinotecan and cisplatin (CPT-11/CDDP) or CPT-11 and nedaplatin (CPT-11/NDP). A total of six cycles of NAC and postoperative chemotherapy were prescribed. No use of radiotherapy was scheduled, except in the case of a recurrence. Results With a median follow-up period for survivors of 38.8 months (range 24–54 months), the 2- and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 91.2% and 86.1%, respectively. Overall response rate of NAC was 80.4%. Recurrence was observed in seven patients. In the absence of radiotherapy, pelvic recurrence was observed in only three patients; another two had para-aortic lymph nodes and the remaining two distant metastases. Toxicities due to chemotherapy were generally tolerable. Postoperative complications included urinary fistula (four patients, 8.7%) and bowel obstruction (two patients, 4.3%), all of which required surgical intervention. Conclusion The results indicate that NAC followed by surgery plus postoperative chemotherapy but no radiotherapy offers a viable option in the treatment of stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer. Although a relatively large incidence of postsurgical complications was observed among low-BMI patients, this treatment offers the advantage of minimizing radiation-induced morbidity, allowing radiotherapy to be reserved for the possible event of pelvic recurrence.

Effect of ER/PR Weak Expression on Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Abstract Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC) is now a relatively standard treatment for advanced breast cancer. Many reporters suggest that the response rate of NAC on ER/PR positive breast cancer is lower than on ER/PR negative cancer. However, there are few reports regarding the effectiveness of NAC according to expression of ER/PR. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of NAC on ER/PR weak positive breast cancer compared with ER/PR negative and strong positive breast cancer.Patients and Methods: 495 patients who underwent NAC between 2001 and 2008 were included. The patients were treated with variable chemotherapy regimens. We analyzed the response rate to NAC by revewing the preoperative breast imaging study including breast US and postoperative pathologic report. ER/PR expression by IHC were scored as negative, weak positive, intermediate and strong positive. We compared weak positive group with negative and strong positive group. We assessed clinicopathologic characteristics, response rate, disease progression according to ER/PR expression and chemotherapy regimens.Results: There were 165(33.3%) of ER/PR negative, 47(9.5%) of weak positive and 207(41.8%) of strong positive, respectively. Most of preoperative clinical stage was stage IIIA, 166(39.6%). Mean age of patients was 46.7±10.1 year. The pathologic complete response(pCR) was 47(11.2%). In weak positive group, pCR, partial response, stable disease, progressive disease was 9(19.1%), 23(48.9%), 9(19.1%) and 6(12.8%), respectively. There was no significant difference between weak positive group and negative group. However, pCR was less(11(5.3%)) in strong positive group compared with weak positive group. (p=0.004). In patients treated with preoperative anthracycline-based NAC and taxen-based NAC weak positive group was similar to negative group. However, pCR rate of strong positive group was lower than other groups.Conclusion: The clinicopathologic behaviors and effect of NAC on weak positive breast cancer were similar to ER/PR negative breast cancer. Therefore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy might be more effective in ER/PR weak positive breast cancer rather than strong positive breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4157.