Residual nodal disease in biopsy proven N1/N2 breast cancer following neoadjuvant systemic therapy

Fatema Al Mushawah, Marcus C. Tan, Julie A. Margenthaler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of complete pathologic response in axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy and the clinicopathologic factors associated with a complete response. Methods: Clinical, demographic, and pathologic data from all patients with breast cancer treated at our institution are prospectively recorded in a database. We reviewed this database from 2000 to 2007 and identified 90 patients who were node-positive before neoadjuvant therapy based on image-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy; all 90 patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after neoadjuvant therapy. Data were compared using chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results: Of 90 patients with breast cancer who were node-positive before neoadjuvant therapy, 71 (79%) had positive nodal disease on final ALND pathology and 19 (21%) had a complete nodal pathologic response. Age, race, tumor grade, clinical T and N stage, and estrogen/progesterone receptor and Her-2neu status were not predictive of a complete nodal response. The only factor predictive of a complete nodal response was the type of neoadjuvant therapy used; all 19 patients with a complete response received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and none received neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Twenty-five percent of patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a complete pathologic response in the nodal basin, whereas no patient who underwent neoadjuvant endocrine therapy experienced a complete nodal response. Summary: Twenty-five percent of patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a complete pathological response in the nodal specimen, whereas no patient who underwent neoadjuvant endocrine therapy experienced a complete nodal response.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)256-260
Number of pages5
JournalWorld journal of surgery
Volume34
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2010

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