Efficacy of adjuvant capecitabine in residual triple negative breast cancer: a multicenter observational Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) study

ABSTRACT

Background

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by high rates of recurrence, especially in patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Capecitabine is being used as standard adjuvant treatment in residual TNBC. We aimed to investigate the real-life data regarding the efficacy of capecitabine in residual TNBC.

Design and methods

In this retrospective multicenter study, TNBC patients with residual disease were evaluated. Patients, who received standard anthracycline and taxane-based NAC and adjuvant capecitabine were eligible. Overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) and toxicity were analyzed.

Results

170 TNBC patients with residual disease were included. Of these, 62.9% were premenopausal. At the time of analysis, the recurrence rate was 30% and death rate was 18%. The 3-year DFS and OS were 66% and 74%, respectively. In patients treated with adjuvant capecitabine, residual node positive disease stood out as an independent predictor of DFS (p = 0.024) and OS (p = 0.032). Undergoing mastectomy and the presence of T2 residual tumor was independent predictors of DFS (p = 0.016) and OS (p = 0.006), respectively.

Conclusion

The efficacy of capecitabine was found lower compared to previous studies. Selected patients may have further benefit from addition of capecitabine. The toxicity associated with capecitabine was found lower than anticipated.

KEYWORDS:

• Capecitabine
• breast cancer
• residual tumor
• triple negative
• toxicity

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

E Şenocak Taşçı, A Ulaş Mutlu, İ Yıldız were involved in conception and design; Y Kutlu, O F Ölmez, Y Gündoğdu, M Seyyar, E Şahin, D Çabuk, N Majidova, I Uğurlu, A Demirci, B Oyan, D Aydın, E Çavdar, S Bayram, N Yıldırım, O Sönmez, F Karataş, L Özer, M Karakurt Eryılmaz, D Çağlayan, S Menekşe, E Kut, H Arak, M Keser, V Sunar, P Perkin, T Şakalar were involved in drafting of the paper; all aouthors were involved in final approval of the version to be published.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.