National Cancer Database analysis of temporal trends in use and outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with clinically aggressive behavior. Among patients with TNBC, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) offers several advantages including improved outcomes among those who achieve pathological complete response (pCR). Analysis of the National Cancer Database found that between 2010 and 2021 the rate of patients receiving NACT for early-stage TNBC increased from 19.1% to 56.4% (p<0.001), whereas among those who received NACT, pCR rates increased from 19.6% to 40.3% (p<0.001). Among patients treated with NACT, having a pCR was associated with a lower risk of death (aHR 0.26; 95% CI 0.24-0.29). Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, Black patients were less likely to receive NACT (aOR 0.88; 95% CI 0.85-0.91) or achieve pCR (0.90; 0.85-0.95). The authors conclude that use of NACT among patients with TNBC has dramatically increased in the past decade.xtagstartz/p>