%0 Journal Article
%T Pathologic complete response and survival in HER2-low and HER2-zero early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
%A Ilie SM
%A Briot N
%A Constantin G
%A Roussot N
%A Ilie A
%A Bergeron A
%A Arnould L
%A Beltjens F
%A Desmoulin I
%A Mayeur D
%A Kaderbhai C
%A Hennequin A
%A Jankowski C
%A Padeano MM
%A Costaz H
%A Amet A
%A Coutant C
%A Coudert B
%A Bertaut A
%A Ladoire S
%J Breast Cancer
%V 30
%N 6
%D 2023 Nov 10
%M 37561255
%F 3.307
%R 10.1007/s12282-023-01490-1
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Breast cancers without HER2 amplification but still expressing this membrane protein constitute a new entity called HER2-low tumors. It is important to characterize them in terms of sensitivity to treatment and prognosis.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>To investigate chemosensitivity and long-term prognosis of HER2-low early breast cancer (eBC), compared to HER2-0 tumors, we retrospectively retrieved clinicopathological characteristics, response to treatment, and survival data from 511 patients treated for eBC with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a French cancer center between 2007 and 2018. Factors associated with the achievement of pathologic complete response (pCR) and survival were studied among hormone receptor positive (HR+) and negative (HR-) eBC.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>A total of 280 HR+ (61% HER2-low), and 231 HR- (28% HER2-low) eBC were included. We found classical clinicopathological factors usually associated with chemosensitivity and prognosis, in both HR+ and HR- eBC. By uni- and multivariable analysis, HER2 status (low vs 0) was not independently associated with pCR, either in HR+ or HR- eBC. Relapse free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between HER2-low and HER2-0 among HR+ tumors. In contrast, among HR- negative tumors, RFS and OS were slightly better in HER2-0 eBC by univariable but not by multivariable analysis.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>In eBC patients treated with NAC, taking into account HR expression subtype and other current clinicopathological features, HER2-low tumors did not appear to have different chemosensitivity or prognosis, compared to their HER2-0 counterparts.