Predictive role of haemoglobin on disease response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

e12542Background: Tumour hypoxia has been shown to play an important role in the outcome of cancer patients. Data on the predictive role of haemoglobin (Hb) on disease response to primary therapies in breast cancer (BC) are lacking. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of Hb level throughout treatment course in predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: 252 patients diagnosed with stage I-III BC treated with anthracycline-taxane based primary chemotherapy were evaluated. Patient and tumor characteristics and treatment information were collected. Standard biological parameters (Ki67, nuclear grade, hormone receptors and HER2 status) were correlated with pathologic complete response (pCR). We focused on Hb (baseline and after therapy levels, drop in Hb throughout treatment) and its correlation to pCR rate. The Hb cut-off to discriminate anaemic vs non-anaemic patients was set at 12,0 g/dl. Results: Globally, pCR was achieved in 58 patients (23%), mainly in case of younge...