VISAKHAPATNAM: A simple, low-cost intervention increases rates of survival even in the worst triple-negative breast cancer, the most dreaded sub-type of breast cancer among women, according to a clinical trial conducted by the Tata Memorial’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC).
ACTREC Director Dr Sudeep Gupta presented the results of the study at the ongoing San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, one of the most prestigious breast cancer conferences in the world, held annually in the USA. In a release, the Tata Memorial’s Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Aganampudi, said triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) affects about 25-30% of Indian breast cancer patients.
“It is conventionally believed that TNBC should be treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, more so when it is large or locally advanced. Despite several studies, the impact of adding platinum on long-term outcomes in TNBC has not been established. We conducted a single-centre randomised phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of adding platinum to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with TNBC,” the statement said.
The trial, conducted between April 2010 and January 2020, had 720 patients with a median age of 46 years. Of them, 285 had operable breast cancer and 435 had locally advanced breast cancer with a median clinical tumour size of six cm.
“At a median follow up of 67.6 months, there was 6% reduction in recurrences and 7% reduction in deaths in the study arm which translates into 25% relative reduction in deaths,” it explained.The tumour disappeared completely by carboplatin based chemo in 55.2%, which is a 14% improvement compared to the control group.
Tata Memorial Centre director Dr Badwe opined, “If the study is implemented across the world, it has the capability to save thousands of lives annually. Evolving low-cost interventions for cancer has been a mission of the Tata Memorial Centre and Department of Atomic Energy for the benefit of the people. This study is a major step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and another example of capability of Indian centres.”