Dysregulation of the retinoblastoma pathway predicts response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy

摘要

A recent retrospective study has shown that loss of retinoblastoma (RB) gene expression is associated with increased pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The results, published online in Clinical Cancer Research, could be used to identify which tumors will respond to such treatment. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used in many breast cancer patients in order to reduce the size or extent of the tumor prior to surgery. A pCR can signify an improved overall prognosis for the patient. However, not all tumors will respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and currently there are no markers that will predict response.