Concurrent Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: Impact on Locoregional Recurrence Rates

TL;DR

This study shows that combining chemotherapy and radiation before surgery in locally advanced breast cancer reduces recurrence and improves treatment response.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that concurrent neoadjuvant chemoradiation improves locoregional recurrence rates and increases pathological complete responses.

Findings

NCRT patients had no locoregional recurrences compared to 17.8% in the NCT group.

NCRT resulted in significantly higher pathological complete response rates.

TILs increased in post-treatment specimens from patients achieving pCR.

Abstract

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NCRT) is an underutilized treatment in breast cancer but may improve outcomes by impacting the tumor immune microenvironment. The aim of this study was to evaluate NCRT’s impact on recurrence and the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in treatment response. We hypothesized that NCRT reduces recurrence by upregulating TILs. Patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) were treated with NCRT. Stage IIB to III patients with any molecular subtypes were eligible. The patients were matched for age, stage, and molecular subtype by a propensity score to a concurrent cohort receiving standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) followed by adjuvant radiation. The objective of this study was to assess the patients in terms of the pathological complete response (pCR), TIL counts prior to and following treatment, and locoregional recurrence. The median follow-up was 7.2 years. Thirty NCRT patients were successfully matched 1:3 to ninety NCT patients. The NCRT cohort had no regional and locoregional recurrences (p = 0.036, (hazard ratio) HR [0.25], 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.06–0.94] and p = 0.013, HR [0.25], 95% CI [0.08–0.76], respectively), compared to 17.8% of the NCT cohort. The NCRT group had significantly more pCRs, and TILs were increased in the post-treatment pCR specimens. NCRT can improve outcomes in LABC patients, with a higher pCR and significantly lower locoregional recurrence/higher recurrence-free survival. Further trials are needed to evaluate the role of NCRT in all breast cancer patients.

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