Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Use for Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer at Five Public South African Hospitals and Impact on Time to Initial Cancer Therapy

Conclusion.NAC use for BC at these South African hospitals was associated with both tumor characteristics and heterogenous resource constraints.Implications for Practice.Using data from a large breast cancer cohort treated in South Africa's public healthcare system, the authors looked at determinants of neoadjuvant chemotherapy use and time to initiate treatment. It was found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increasing tumor burden and aggressive molecular subtypes, demonstrating clinically appropriate care in a lower resource setting. Results of this study also showed that time to treatment differences between chemotherapy and surgery varied by hospital, suggesting that differences in resource limitations were influencing clinical decision making. Practice guidelines and care quality metrics designed for low‐ and middle‐income countries should accommodate heterogeneity of available resources.

Source: The Oncologist - July 16, 2019 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Daniel S. O'Neil, Sarah Nietz, Ines Buccimazza, Urishka Singh, Sharon Čačala, Laura W. Stopforth, Maureen Joffe, Judith S. Jacobson, Alfred I. Neugut, Katherine D. Crew, Paul Ruff, Herbert Cubasch Tags: Breast Cancer, Health Outcomes and Economics of Cancer Care, Global Health and Cancer Source Type: research