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06-08-2022 | Breast Cancer | Breast Oncology

Clinical, Pathological Complete Response, and Prognosis Characteristics of HER2-Low Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Setting: A Retrospective Analysis

Authors: Yingbo Shao, MS, Yang Yu, MS, Zhifen Luo, MD, Huijuan Guan, MD, Fangyuan Zhu, MS, Yaning He, MD, Qi Chen, MS, Chaojun Liu, MD, Bing Nie, MS, Hui Liu, MD

Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology | Issue 13/2022

Abstract

Background

The present study was conducted to evaluate the clinical, pathological response, and prognosis characteristics of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low breast cancer in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting.

Methods

Patients with HER2-negative breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy from January 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. HER2-negative breast cancer was divided into two groups: HER2-zero (defined as immunohistochemistry [IHC] 0) and HER2-low (defined as IHC 1+, or IHC 2+ and fluorescence in-situ hybridization-negative.

Results

Overall, 314 patients with HER2-negative breast cancer were analyzed. The proportion of HER2-low patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive disease was higher than in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; 75.3% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.032). In HR-positive breast cancer, HER2-low tumors presented less nodal involvement (p = 0.023) and earlier clinical stage (p = 0.015) compared with HER2-zero tumors; however, in TNBC, HER2-low patients had a later clinical stage (p = 0.028). With the pathological complete response (pCR) defined as ypTis/0ypN0, there was no difference in pCR rates among the entire cohort, HR-positive disease, and TNBC. However, with the pCR defined as ypT0ypN0, the pCR rate in HER2-low breast cancer was significantly lower than HER2-zero breast cancer in the entire cohort (24.3% vs. 36.4%, p = 0.032) and the HR-positive subgroup (18.7% vs. 32.1%, p = 0.035), but not for TNBC. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that HER2 status (low vs. zero) was an independent predictive factor for pCR (p = 0.013) in HR-positive breast cancer. There were no statistically significant differences in 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival between HER2-low and HER2-zero breast cancer among the entire cohort, HR-positive disease, and TNBC.

Conclusions

HER2-low breast cancer exhibits specific clinical features and different response to treatment associated with HR status in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting.

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Title: Clinical, Pathological Complete Response, and Prognosis Characteristics of HER2-Low Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Setting: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Yingbo Shao, MS
Yang Yu, MS
Zhifen Luo, MD
Huijuan Guan, MD
Fangyuan Zhu, MS
Yaning He, MD
Qi Chen, MS
Chaojun Liu, MD
Bing Nie, MS
Hui Liu, MD
Publication date: 06-08-2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Keywords: Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer
Cytostatic Therapy
Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology / Issue 13/2022
Print ISSN: 1068-9265
Electronic ISSN: 1534-4681
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-022-12369-4

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Clinical, Pathological Complete Response, and Prognosis Characteristics of HER2-Low Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Setting: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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