CLINICO-EPIDIMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF METASTATIC BREAST CANCER IN PATIENTS WITH HER2NEU NEGATIVE: HOSPITAL BASED EXPERIENCE

Abstract

SUMMARY B reast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, accounting for 27% of all female cancers; also is responsible for 15% of cancer deaths in women, making it the number-two cause of cancer death. In females, breast and liver cancer occupied the top ranks accounting for around 45% of all cancers in females in Egypt. Metastatic disease is found at presentation in 5% to 10% of patients with breast cancer. The most common sites of distant metastasis are the lungs, liver, lymph nodes, and bone. Treatment for systemic disease is palliative in intent. Goals of treatment include improving quality of life and prolongation of life. Treatment of metastatic breast cancer will usually involve hormone therapy and/or chemotherapy with or without targeted agents. Radiation therapy and/or surgery may be indicated for patients with limited symptomatic metastases. The median survival for patients with metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer is 18 to 24 months, but range extends from only a few months to many years. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy in combination with cyclophosphamide and/or taxane is one of the commonly prescribed regimens for anthracycline-naïve stage IV breast cancer while Single-agent taxanes are an effective option in metastatic patients who were treated with only anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy. In our retrospective analysis of HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer patients, 52 patients were eligible and patients baseline characters were analysed where mean age was 48.7 years , 25% died, 6% lost follow up, 27% were alive. Median overall survival 30 months, median progression free survival was 5 monthes. There was no significant correlation between patients general characters and survival functions, only patients who became metastatic after failure of adjuvant treatment had better overall survival than those metastatic at presentation. Anthracycline based regimens were not superior to non anthracycline containing regimens used treating patients who were anthracycline-naïve as there was statistically significant difference regarding overall survival, progression free survival and response. On the other hand, patients who became metastatic after failure of adjuvant chemotherapy, taxane based regimens had improves overall survival than non taxane regimens but no difference as regard response and progression free survival.