Influence of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

• Published in: Annals of surgical oncology Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 1434 - 1440
• Main Authors: Garg, Amit K., Buchholz, Thomas A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-05-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Breast Neoplasms - mortality; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Breast Oncology; Clinical Trials as Topic; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Oncology; Prognosis; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Survival Rate; National Surgical Adjuvant Breast And Bowel Project (NSABP); Breast Conservation; Locoregional Radiotherapy; Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy; Left-sided Breast Cancer
• ISSN: 1068-9265; 1534-4681
• DOI: 10.1245/s10434-015-4402-x

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a standard treatment option for patients with locally advanced operable breast cancer and is increasingly used in early breast cancer. Initial randomized trials of neoadjuvant chemotherapy established equivalency to adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of survival, but they also demonstrated improved rates of breast conservation and the ability to modify the risk of locoregional recurrence after a favorable response to chemotherapy. High-quality nonrandomized data have helped to tailor radiotherapy treatment recommendations after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. Results from an ongoing phase 3 randomized trial (NSABP B-51/RTOG 1304) will help to clarify the value of locoregional radiotherapy for patients with clinical N1 disease that becomes node negative after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.