Should perioperative chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer routinely comprise platinum salts? A vote for no

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common female neoplasm in Poland and worldwide, its mortality rate ranking second only to lung cancer. There are several biological subtypes, differing, among other parameters, as to prognosis and perioperative treatment recommendations. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the worst prognoses and systemic preoperative treatment is recommended as early as of II TNM stage. Pathological complete response (pCR) may result in an improved prognosis. Most patients respond well to standard chemotherapy and there is no need to include platinum derivatives in perioperative therapies. One should remember that platinum salts use not only increases the percentage of pCRs, but also results in an increased therapeutic toxicity; it does not, however, have an impact on disease free survival (DFS) an overall survival (OS).