Cancer Invest. 2021 May 7:1-17. doi: 10.1080/07357907.2021.1928166. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
We analyzed the effect of anemia on tumor response of patients with primary invasive breast cancer (BC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The patient collective was very homogenous; finally, 74 BC patients with identical medication and duration of NACT were enrolled. After completion of NACT, 49 patients (66.2%) had a post-NACT Hb level <12 g/dl. In the anemic group, we found a tendency of lower median tumor response compared to non-anemic patients at this time (15 versus 17 mm, retrospectively, p = 0.18). Age at diagnosis significantly correlated with the difference of Hb [before initiation – after completion of NACT] (correlation coefficient =0.40, p < 0.001).
PMID:33961512 | DOI:10.1080/07357907.2021.1928166
