The percentage of residual DCIS in patients diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy: A nationwide retrospective study

• Published in: European journal of surgical oncology Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 60 - 66
• Main Authors: Ploumen, R.A.W., Keymeulen, K.B.M.I., Kooreman, L.F.S., van Kuijk, S.M.J., Siesling, S., Smidt, M.L., van Nijnatten, T.J.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - pathology; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating - pathology; Ductal carcinoma in situ; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Mastectomy; Mastectomy, Segmental; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant systemic therapy; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Grading; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasm, Residual; Receptor, ErbB-2 - metabolism; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Young Adult; Ductal carcinoma in situ; Breast cancer; Neoadjuvant systemic therapy
• ISSN: 0748-7983; 1532-2157
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2021.10.016

Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) is increasingly applied in breast cancer to improve surgical and oncological outcome. Approximately 21% of patients receiving NST achieve pathological complete response (pCR) of the breast. There is disagreement on the definition of pCR with respect to residual DCIS (ypT0 versus ypT0/is). The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the percentage of breast pCR (ypT0) and residual DCIS (ypTis), and its association with clinicopathological variables, in patients treated with NST and surgery. Patients with invasive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with or without targeted therapy, in the period of 2010–2019 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the percentage of ypT0 and ypTis and its association with clinicopathological variables. From the NCR database, 20495 patients were included, of whom 5847 (28.5%) achieved breast pCR (ypT0) and 881 (4.3%) showed residual DCIS (ypTis). The percentage of ypTis was highest in HER2+ tumour subtypes (ER+HER2+ 7.9%, ER-HER2+ 9.8%, ER+HER2- 2.1%, triple negative 3.3%, p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated high tumour grade (OR 2.00, p = 0.003) and HER2+ tumour subtype (ER+HER2+ OR 3.58, ER-HER2+ OR 4.37, p < 0.001) as independent predictors for ypTis. pCR (ypT0) was achieved in 5847 (28.5%) patients receiving NST and residual DCIS (ypTis) was found in 881 (4.3%) patients. Consequently, the rate of pCR may be affected by ypTis when not excluded from the definition. The percentage of ypTis is highest in HER2+ subtypes.