Real-world neoadjuvant chemotherapy outcomes in Vietnamese breast cancer patients: a retrospective analysis
- 1Breast Department, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- 2Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- 3Cancer Center, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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.
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BibTeX
@article{huynh2026realworld,
title = {{Real-world neoadjuvant chemotherapy outcomes in Vietnamese breast cancer patients: a retrospective analysis}},
author = {Khanh Quang Huynh and Toan Duc Nguyen and Khiem Tran Dang and Anh Tuan Le},
journal = {Translational Breast Cancer Research},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.21037/tbcr-2026-1-0002},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21037/tbcr-2026-1-0002},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Real-world neoadjuvant chemotherapy outcomes in Vietnamese breast cancer patients: a retrospective analysis
AU - Khanh Quang Huynh
AU - Toan Duc Nguyen
AU - Khiem Tran Dang
AU - Anh Tuan Le
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/10
JO - Translational Breast Cancer Research
DO - 10.21037/tbcr-2026-1-0002
UR - https://doi.org/10.21037/tbcr-2026-1-0002
AB - 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.
SN - 2218-6778
ER -