Optimal timing of surgery following breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Administration of chemotherapy before breast surgery has the potential to reduce the risk of distant recurrence by targeting micrometastasis as well as allowing a more minimalistic approach to surgical intervention. We performed a systematic review to determine the optimum timing of surgery post breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

METHODS

The primary outcome was to determine whether the timing of surgery post NACT impacted overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). We compared patient outcomes between those who had surgery within 8 weeks of completion of NACT to those that had surgery after 8 weeks. An outcome comparison between <4 weeks and 4-8 weeks was also performed. Secondary outcome included complete pathological response (pCR) post NACT. A meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method.

RESULTS

Five studies, including 8794 patients were eligible for inclusion. Patients that had surgery within 8 weeks of completion of NACT had a statistically significant improved OS(OR 0.47, 95% c. i 0.34-0.65) and DFS(OR 0.71 (95% c. i 0.52-0.98, P = 0.04). There were no survival advantages associated with having surgery less than 4 weeks post completion of NACT (OR 0.78, 95% c. i 0.46-1.33, P = 0.37). There was no difference in pCR rate between those that had surgery <4 weeks and 4-8 weeks (OR 1.01, 95% c. i 0.80-1.28, P = 0.93).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis shows that the optimum timing of surgery post completion of NACT is 4-8 weeks as it is associated with increased OS and DFS.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest No conflicts of interest to declare. No funding required. This is to verify that this piece of work has not been submitted elsewhere.