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. 2017 Mar 22:7:44673.
doi: 10.1038/srep44673.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Creates Surgery Opportunities For Inoperable Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Minghao Wang  1 , Lingmi Hou  1   2 , Maoshan Chen  3 , Yan Zhou  1 , Yueyang Liang  1 , Shushu Wang  1 , Jun Jiang  1 , Yi Zhang  1
Affiliations

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Creates Surgery Opportunities For Inoperable Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Minghao Wang et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), the systematic chemotherapy given to patients with locally advanced and inoperable breast caner, has been proven to be of great clinical values. Many scientific reports confirmed NAC could effectively eliminate sub-clinical disseminated lesions of tumor, and improve long-term and disease-free survival rate of patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC); however, up to now, LABC is still a serious clinical issue given improved screening and early diagnosis. This study, with main focus on inoperable LABC, investigated the values of NAC in converting inoperable LABC into operable status and assessed the prognosis. Sixty-one patients with inoperable LABC were initially treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy; their local conditions were improved to operable status. Radical surgery was exerted on 49 patients. Original chemotherapy was performed after surgery, followed by local radiotherapy. And endocrine therapy was optional according to the hormone receptor status. The quality of life for most patients with skin diabrosis was obviously improved because their local conditions were under control. For all recruited cases, the survival duration and life quality were significantly improved in patients who finished both NAC and surgery compared to those who did not. Further more, this study demonstrates improved prognostic consequences.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Before: Before chemotherapy, the tumor was complicated with regional ulceration and infection, and surgery was difficult. After: Ulcer healed and edema subsided after 5 cycles of primary FEC chemotherapy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Before: Inflammatory breast cancer. The edema of left breast and surrounding skin were obvious, which made radical surgery impossible. After: The edema of breast subsided after 6 cycles of primary TE chemotherapy, which met the radical surgery standard.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Survival curves according to surgery and without surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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