274 Background: Primary systemic chemotherapy is a standard approach to treating women with locally advanced breast cancers, with higher survival rates reported among patients who attain a pathologic complete response. Triple-negative breast cancer is a special biological entity that remains major challenge to oncologist. Around 12%-20% of breast cancers are triple negative. The current phase II study was conducted to evaluate the pathological complete response (pCR) using cis-platinum containing regimen as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced triple negative breast cancer. Methods: Eighteen women with stage III triple negative breast cancer who were recruited between July 2007 and February 2010 at King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 4 cycles of AC or FEC 100, followed by 4 cycles consisted of docetaxel-cisplatin every 3 weeks. Primary end point was pathological complete response. Results: Median age: 49 y (24-70); premenopausal: 16; 25% were below 35 years of age; Median tumor size: 9 cm (3.5-19); Grade III: 15; Stage IIIA: 3, IIIB:14, IIIC:1; all but 2 had positive nodes at diagnosis (89%). Clinical evaluation of response by RECIST criteria pre surgery: OR: 17/18 (94%), CR: 9 (50%); PR: 8 (44%).The second sequence with D-Cis-T doubled the rate of clinical CR obtained with AC/FEC. One patient was not operated due to disease progression. Pathological assessment, revealed that 8 (47%) pts had no residual invasive carcinoma in the breast; 3 (18%) had residual occasional scattered tumor cells less than 5 mm (pT1a); 10 (59%) had negative nodes; 8 achieved CpR and 2 nCpR. Patients with residual invasive component and/or nodal involvement had high baseline Ki 67 level. After a median follow up of 24 months, cumulative overall survival at 24 months is 88.9% for whole group. Cumulative overall survival in relation to response was 100% for patients who achieved pCR while overall cumulative survival rate for patients without pCR was 83.3% without statistical significance. Conclusions: This cisplatin based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen was well tolerated and achieved a high rate of pCR/npCR.
Neoadjuvant Therapy in Operable Breast Cancer: Application to Triple Negative Breast Cancer