Effectiveness of an Adjuvant Chemotherapy Regimen for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Importance: Different adjuvant chemotherapy regimens are available for early-stage breast cancer. Because conventional meta-analysis does not allow comparing all regimens, we performed a network meta-analysis to identify the most effective adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Objective: To find the most effective adjuvant therapy regimen for early-stage breast cancer.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for articles published before June 2015; the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting abstracts from January 1983 through December 2014; and the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting abstracts from January 1916 through December 2014. Additionally, we manually searched bibliographies for related references.

Study Selection: We included randomized clinical trials of adjuvant treatments for early-stage breast cancer that compared 2 or more of the following: no adjuvant chemotherapy; sequential anthracycline-cyclophosphamide and taxane (AC-T); concurrent anthracycline-cyclophosphamide and taxane (ACT); anthracycline-cyclophosphamide without taxane (AC); docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC); cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF); and platinum-containing regimens.

Data Extraction And Synthesis: We followed the PRISMA guidelines. Two investigators independently selected the articles and extracted information. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with another author. Quality was assessed by Cochrane risk-of-bias method. Data were pooled using random-effects models.

Main Outcomes And Measures: We used network meta-analysis to test the most effective adjuvant therapy regimen in terms of overall survival (OS) by comparing regimens listed in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and platinum-containing regimens.

Results: We identified 24 trials. The TC and platinum-containing regimens had OS benefit similar to that of sequential AC-T (TC hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% CI, 0.62-1.40; and platinum HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.66-1.31). Patients treated with CMF or AC had significantly worse OS than those treated with sequential AC-T (CMF HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.32-1.85; and AC HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10-1.37). Platinum-containing regimens tended to be more toxic than sequential AC-T. The toxicity of TC was similar to or less than that of sequential AC-T. Meta-regression analysis showed that hormone receptor status did not impact the HRs for OS for any regimen.

Conclusions And Relevance: Sequential AC-T is likely to be the most effective adjuvant therapy regimen for early-stage breast cancer regardless of hormone receptor status.