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Table 3 Pathological response in excised axillary nodes following NAC

From: Women with large (≥3 cm) and locally advanced breast cancers (T3, 4, N1, 2, M0) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC: cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, docetaxel): addition of capecitabine improves 4-year disease-free survival

GROUPS (n = 110)a

PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE GRADE [n (%)]b*

PRE NAC NORMAL NODES (n = 67)

PRE NAC TUMOUR INVOLVED ALNs (n = 45)

POST NAC PCR in ALNs (n = 43)a

3 (PCR)

2 (PR)

1(PoR)

Aa

6 (16.7%)

4 (11.1%)

4 (11.1%)

21 (55.3%)

17 (44.7%)

6 (35.3%)

n = 37

Ba

8 (21.1%)

4 (10.5%)

3 (7.9%)

23 (60.5%)

15 (39.5%)

8 (53.3%)

n = 38

C

0 (0%)

2 (11.1%)

2 (11.1%)

14 (77.8%)

5 (26.3%)

0 (0%)

n = 19

D

4 (25.0%)

2 (12.5%)

1 (6.25%)

9 (56.3%)

8 (50%)

4 (50%)

n = 16

A + C

6 (11.1%)

6 (11.1%)

6 (11.1%)

35 (61.4%)

22 (38.6%)

6 (30%) (n = 20)

n = 56

B + D

12 (22.2%)

6 (11.1%)

4 (7.4%)

32 (58.2%)

23 (41.8%)

12 (52.2%) (n = 23)

n = 54

  1. aTwo patients had pre-operative radiotherapy and were excluded from the post NAC analysis, one in Group A and one in Group B.
  2. bPCR : complete response, all metastatic disease replaced by fibrosis (grade 3); PR : partial response in metastatic disease and evidence of fibrotic replacement of malignant cells (grade 2); PoR : poor response, metastasis with no evidence of fibrosis (grade 1); normal nodes: no evidence of metastatic disease or fibrosis in lymph nodes.
  3. *Pathological responses were not significantly different between the Groups (p>0.05); A + C v B + D (all ALNs): χ2 = 2.743, p = 0.098; A + C v B + D (pre NAC +ve ALNs): χ2 = 1.433, p = 0.231 (Pearson Chi-Square Test).
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