Clinical and tumor profile of patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer at Erasto Gaertner Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and tumor profile of patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer in 2011, at Erasto Gaertner Hospital, in Curitiba, Paraná. Methods: A retrospective study was done, with quantitative data survey and analysis of 135 patients with breast cancer who were on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in 2011, at Erasto Gaertner Hospital. The variables studied were age, menopausal status, Body Mass Index (BMI) at diagnosis, histological subtype, TNM diagnosis, immunohistochemical profile, chemotherapy regimen, dates of start and end of chemotherapy, date of surgery, and type of surgery. Results: The median age was 51 years; 48.88% of patients were postmenopausal; 65.91% were overweight or obese grade I or II; 43.70% of patients had breast cancer with clinical stage IIB and 37.86% in stage III; 92.59% of the tumors were invasive ductal carcinoma. The estrogen receptor was positive in 65.18% of patients and the progesterone receptor was positive in 50.37% of them. Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-type 2 (HER2) was overexpressed in 25,92% of patients. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen most used consisted of doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and weekly paclitaxel. Quadrantectomy was performed in 71 patients and mastectomy in 52. Axillary dissection was performed in 119 patients. Conclusion: The clinical and tumor characteristics of the patients in Erasto Gaertner Hospital are similar to those described in the literature, except for clinical stage being less advanced.