Real-world neoadjuvant chemotherapy outcomes in Vietnamese breast cancer patients: a retrospective analysis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women worldwide, including in Vietnam, where 21,238 new cases were diagnosed in 2020. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is commonly used as a preoperative treatment to reduce tumor size, increase breast-conserving surgery rates, and evaluate chemotherapy response.The objectiveof this study was to analyze the outcomes of breast cancer patients treated with NAC at a large tertiary hospital in Vietnam. Methods: This retrospective real-world study used routine hospital-based clinical records from Cho Ray Hospital. We included 101 breast cancer patients treated with NAC between 2019 and 2021 who underwent surgery and had postoperative follow-up available for survival analysis. Pathological complete response (pCR) rates and survival outcomes were assessed according to breast cancer subtype and other clinicopathologic factors. Results: A pCR was achieved in 27.7% of patients, with the highest rates observed in triple-negative (53.9%) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched (50.0%) subtypes. Hormone receptor-positive patients had lower pCR rates (19.7%). The mean follow-up duration was 30.8 months, with an overall survival rate of 97% and disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 82.2%. In a parsimonious multivariable Cox model for DFS, adjuvant radiotherapy remained independently associated with better DFS, whereas ypN3 status remained independently associated with worse DFS. Non-compliance with adjuvant radiotherapy, particularly during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, was associated with poorer outcomes. Conclusions: In this real-world cohort, NAC was associated with favorable short-term oncologic outcomes among high-risk breast cancer patients. These outcomes appeared to be influenced by residual pathological burden and adherence to adjuvant radiotherapy. Further research with larger cohorts and extended follow-up is necessary to better characterize long-term outcomes in Vietnamese breast cancer patients.
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204025594