EFFICACY OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN RECURRENT AND METASTATIC BREAST CANCER AT MILITARY HOSPITAL 175
Keywords:
chemotherapy, recurrent and metastasis breast cancerAbstract
Background: Metastatic breast cancer remains largely incurable, with a median overall survival of 2-3 years depending on tumor subtypes. Over the past decades, although several targeted therapies have been introduced, chemotherapy continues to serve as a key treatment option, particularly when targeted therapies are no longer effective. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic breast cancer treatment in real-world settings.
Methods: A retrospective study of patients aged 18–75 years with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy at Military Hospital 175. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included post-metastasis survival (PMS), progression free survival (PFS), and safety.
Results: A total of 59 patients who met the inclusion criteria at Military Hospital 175 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) between January 2022 and December 2024 were analyzed. Median PMS was 33 months (95% CI, 23,8 months–not available [NA]). Median PFS was 19,6 months (95% CI, 3,4–25,3 months). The overall response rate (ORR) was 61%. The most frequent treatment-related toxicities included decreased hemoglobin (33,9%), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; 25,4%), and neutropenia (20,4%), which were predominantly grade 1–2.
Conclusion: Chemotherapy prolongs PMS and PFS across recurrent or metastatic breast cancer molecular subtypes. However, failure to achieve a treatment response is an independent prognostic factor associated with poorer PMS and PFS. Chemotherapy achieves a favorable ORR with acceptable toxicity; therefore, it remains an important treatment option.
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