Table 3 Neoadjuvant treatment characteristics and outcomes by age groups
All patients (N = 235) (%) | ≤40 years (N = 33) (%) | 41–64 years (N = 134) (%) | ≥65 years (N = 68) (%) | p-value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NAT regimen | |||||||||
Anthracycline only | 118 | 50.2 | 17 | 51.5 | 71 | 53.0 | 30 | 44.1 | <0.001 |
Anthracycline with platinum | 44 | 18.7 | 7 | 21.2 | 30 | 22.4 | 7 | 10.3 | |
Taxane only | 14 | 6.0 | 0 | - | 2 | 1.5 | 12 | 17.6 | |
Taxane with platinum | 57 | 24.3 | 9 | 27.3 | 31 | 23.1 | 17 | 25.0 | |
Endocrine therapy | 2 | 0.9 | 0 | - | 0 | - | 2 | 2.9 | |
HER2 agent | |||||||||
Single blockade | 8 | 6.3 | 0 | - | 4 | 5.3 | 4 | 12.5 | 0.438 |
Dual blockade | 116 | 92.1 | 18 | 100 | 70 | 92.1 | 28 | 87.5 | |
No | 2 | 1.6 | 0 | - | 2 | 2.6 | 0 | - | |
Immunotherapy | |||||||||
Yes | 8 | 12.5 | 0 | - | 7 | 20.0 | 1 | 5.0 | 0.217 |
No | 56 | 87.5 | 9 | 100 | 28 | 80.0 | 19 | 95.0 | |
NAT completion | |||||||||
Yes | 188 | 80.0 | 29 | 87.9 | 112 | 83.6 | 47 | 69.1 | 0.006 |
No – adverse events | 25 | 10.6 | 2 | 6.1 | 10 | 7.5 | 13 | 19.1 | |
No – disease progression | 6 | 2.6 | 0 | - | 4 | 3.0 | 2 | 2.9 | |
No – poor tolerance | 7 | 3.0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0.7 | 6 | 8.8 | |
No – refusal to continue | 3 | 1.3 | 1 | 3.0 | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | - | |
No – others | 6 | 2.6 | 1 | 3.0 | 5 | 3.7 | 0 | - | |
Surgery | |||||||||
No | 7 | 3.0 | 0 | - | 3 | 2.2 | 4 | 5.9 | <0.001 |
Yes – Breast conservation | 46 | 19.6 | 10 | 30.3 | 27 | 20.1 | 9 | 13.2 | |
Yes – Mastectomy without breast reconstruction | 116 | 49.4 | 2 | 6.1 | 64 | 47.8 | 50 | 73.5 | |
Yes – Mastectomy with breast reconstruction | 66 | 28.1 | 21 | 63.6 | 40 | 29.9 | 5 | 7.4 | |
Axillary surgery | |||||||||
No | 8 | 3.4 | 0 | - | 4 | 3.0 | 4 | 5.9 | 0.398 |
Yes – SLNB only | 87 | 37.0 | 16 | 48.5 | 46 | 34.3 | 25 | 36.8 | |
Yes – Axillary clearance | 140 | 59.6 | 17 | 51.5 | 84 | 62.7 | 39 | 57.4 | |
Among patients with surgery: | 228 | 100 | 33 | 100 | 131 | 100 | 64 | 100 | |
Overall stage (yp) | |||||||||
pCR | 99 | 43.4 | 18 | 54.5 | 64 | 48.9 | 17 | 26.6 | 0.012 |
I | 52 | 22.8 | 8 | 24.2 | 23 | 17.6 | 21 | 32.8 | |
II | 50 | 21.9 | 3 | 9.1 | 29 | 22.1 | 18 | 28.1 | |
III | 26 | 11.4 | 3 | 9.1 | 15 | 11.5 | 8 | 12.5 | |
III | 1 | 0.4 | 1 | 3.0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | |
