Adjuvant chemotherapy for resected triple negative breast cancer patients: A network meta-analysis

by Fausto Petrelli, Valentina Bertaglia, Maria Chiara Parati, Karen Borgonovo, Pushpamali De Silva, Andrea Luciani, Silvia Novello, Mario Scartozzi, Leisha A. Emens, Cinzia Solinas 

The Breast: Published: December 15, 2022

Abstract:

The current standard of care for resected early-stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who did not receive systemic preoperative therapy is adjuvant anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy (CT). A network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (phase III) enrolling patients with resected stage I-III TNBC comparing adjuvant regimens was performed. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) data were extracted. A total of 27 phase III clinical trials were selected including 15,242 TNBC patients. This NMA showed an OS benefit from the incorporation of capecitabine into classic anthracycline/taxane-based combinations compared to anthracyclines with or without taxanes alone.

Highlights:

·         The current adjuvant therapy for resected early-stage triple negative breast cancer is adjuvant chemotherapy.

·         A network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials was performed.

·         A total of 27 phase III clinical trials were selected including 15,242 TNBC patients.

·         Anthracycline- and taxane-plus capecitabine-based CT resulted in better OS than other regimens.

·         Similarly capecitabine-based triplets and the carboplatin/paclitaxel doublet ranked the best for DFS.