This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Adjuvant chemotherapy improved survival after breast cancer recurrence
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
SAN ANTONIO — Adjuvant chemotherapy was linked to improved survival outcomes in women with local recurrent breast cancer, according to findings presented here at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Stefan Aebi, MD, head of the division of medical oncology at Luzerner Kantonsspital in Luzern, Switzerland, presented the results of the CALOR trial.
“This trial addresses the treatment of women whose breast cancer recurs only in the breast or surrounding areas,” Aebi said, adding that standard of care is surgery and radiation, but it is unknown whether these women benefit from chemotherapy.
“Previous attempts to answer this question have been unsuccessful,” he said. “CALOR is a global trial and for the first time provides a clear answer.”
Eligible patients had undergone a mastectomy or breast-conserving procedure. They were stratified by hormone receptor status of isolated local and/or regional recurrence, site of recurrence (breast, chest wall, lymph nodes) and use of prior chemotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned chemotherapy or no chemotherapy.
“This was a pragmatic trial,” Aebi said. “Patients are heterogeneous in that those with isolated local recurrences are not all the same. Accordingly, radiation, hormonal and anti-HER-2 therapies were individualized. Patients were free to choose appropriate chemotherapy based on prior therapies.”
Results indicated a median 5-year DFS of 69% in the chemotherapy group and 57% for the non-chemotherapy group. “This was an absolute difference of 12%,” Aebi said, adding that the HR was 0.59 for the comparison (95% CI, 0.35-0.99).
“We also saw an absolute difference of 12% for overall survival,” Aebi said. Patients in the treatment group had an OS of 88% vs. 76% in the nontreatment group (HR=0.41; 95% CI, 0.19-0.89).
“Adjuvant chemotherapy should be recommended for patients with completely resected isolated local or regional recurrence of breast cancer,” he said. “The data are strongest for patients with ER-negative recurrences. Longer follow-up is needed for patients with ER-positive recurrences.”
For more information:
Aebi S. #S3-2. Presented at: the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; Dec. 4-8, 2012; San Antonio.
Disclosure: Aebi reports no relevant financial disclosures associated with this study.
Perspective
Back to Top
Carlos Arteaga, MD, PhD
Some of our medical oncologists feel that adjuvant chemotherapy is required. The study presented by Dr. Aebi is an important contribution to an ongoing controversy in this field.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts