{
  "abstract": "Background: To examine differences in pathological complete response (pCR) rates across immunohistochemistry (IHC)-defined breast cancer surrogate subtypes and the association of pCR with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS).\n\nMethods: This retrospective multicenter study included 3,803 patients from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Breast Cancer Database who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery. Total pCR was defined as ypT0/is ypN0. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression assessed factors associated with pCR and its association with survival, respectively. Exploratory global subtype-by-pCR interaction tests were restricted to the remaining four subtypes with estimable within-subtype pCR contrasts. Sensitivity analyses included exploratory covariate-balancing analyses based on propensity score matching and overlap weighting, calendar-year adjustment, and subtype-stratified Cox models.\n\nResults: Overall, 908 patients achieved pCR (23.88%), with rates differing across IHC-defined surrogate subtypes (P < 0.001). During a median follow-up of 46 months, pCR was associated with favorable RFS (adjusted HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.24–0.57) and BCSS (adjusted HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.18–0.50; both P < 0.001). Exploratory global interaction tests among the remaining four subtypes with estimable within-subtype pCR contrasts showed no statistical evidence of heterogeneity for RFS (P for interaction = 0.665) or BCSS (P for interaction = 0.718); Luminal A-like disease could not be included in these tests because no RFS or BCSS events occurred among the five patients who achieved pCR. Exploratory propensity-score matching yielded 907 pairs; matched-pair robust HRs were 0.43 (95% CI 0.27–0.69) for RFS and 0.38 (95% CI 0.22–0.64) for BCSS. Associations were consistent across the other sensitivity analyses.\n\nConclusion: pCR frequency varied across IHC-defined surrogate subtypes, and pCR was associated with favorable survival in the overall cohort. The exploratory interaction analyses did not establish effect modification among the four included subtypes; Luminal A-like disease could not be assessed for interaction because of sparse events. Subtype-specific survival estimates remain exploratory and require confirmation in adequately powered studies.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Nan’an Hospital",
    "Department of Breast Surgery, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shaolong Fu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kaiyang Xiao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sibao Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhishan Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Debo Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Weibin Lian"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7d4d2wg5qn07h.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688/full",
  "id": "7d4d2wg5qn07h",
  "issns": [
    "2234-943X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688/full",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC254-282"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1306|Breast Cancer Treatment Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223394750",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7d4d2wg5qn07h.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:13Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:43:11Z",
      "native_id": "2142d31ad28d4358b47e85cc53aac45f",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2026.1994688"
    }
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:1306|Breast Cancer Treatment Studies",
      "subfield": "oncology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Pathological complete response and long-term outcomes after neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study with exploratory subtype analyses",
  "title_text": "Pathological complete response and long-term outcomes after neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study with exploratory subtype analyses",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:43:11Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7d4d2wg5qn07h",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Oncology",
  "versions": []
}