Clinical implication of triple-negative breast cancer in the era of breast-conserving therapy

Abstract

Background and Objectives : The optimum local surgical strategy regarding Breast-Conserving Therapy (BCT) for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is controversial. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of BCT in women with TNBC compared to those without TNBC, using a large, single center cohort. Methods : We performed a retrospective analysis of 1533 women (TNBC n=321; non-TNBC n=1212) who underwent BCT for primary breast cancer between 2000 and 2010. Clinicopathological characteristics, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results : Tumors from the TNBC group had higher T stage (T2 37.4% vs. 21.0%, p<0.001), lower N stage (N0 86.9% vs. 75.5%, p<0.001), and higher histologic grade (Grade III 66.8% vs. 15.4%, p<0.001) versus the non-TNBC group. There were no differences in 5-year LRFS rates between the TNBC and non-TNBC groups (98.7% vs. 97.8%, p=0.63). The non-TNBC group showed a slightly better 5-year OS than the TNBC group, but the difference was not significant (96.2% vs. 97.3%, p=0.72). In multivariate analyses, TNBC was not associated with poor clinical outcomes in terms of LRFS and OS (HR for LRFS=0.37, 95% CI=0.10-1.31, HR for OS=1.03, 95% CI=0.31-3.39). Conclusions : TNBC patients who underwent BCT showed relatively low locoregional recurrence. BCT is an acceptable surgical approach in selected patients with TNBC.