Surgery may not be the best next course of treatment for patients with early-stage breast cancer who had a complete response to neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) chemotherapy and standard radiation treatment, according to new data from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Five-year results from the Phase II trial, published today in JAMA Oncology, revealed that breast cancer still had not returned in patients who had a pathologic complete response (pCR) after chemotherapy and radiation, without surgery. After a median follow-up of 55.4 months, each of the 31 patients with a pCR remained disease free, and the overall survival rate was 100%.
The findings, which also are being presented today at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2025 Annual Meeting, suggest that some patients may be able to avoid breast surgery, which has long been part of standard treatment.
