Researchers analyzed data from 8,069 patients with early-stage breast cancer across 10 clinical trials. They compared patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with an angiogenesis inhibitor, such as bevacizumab, against those receiving chemotherapy alone. The goal was to see if adding the inhibitor improved the pathological response rate (pCR), which measures how much of the tumor is replaced by normal tissue before surgery.
The study found that patients who received both chemotherapy and the angiogenesis inhibitor had significantly higher pCR rates compared to those who only received chemotherapy. This improvement was especially notable in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. However, for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, no significant difference in response rates was found between the two groups.
While the treatment showed promise in improving local tumor response, the study did not find a significant difference in overall survival or disease-free survival for any group. Because there are currently no clear biomarkers to predict which patients will benefit most from this specific combination, results may vary. Patients should talk to their doctors about how these findings might apply to their specific type of cancer.
