Predictive markers for clinical outcome after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

3041 Background: Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (NRT-CHX) in locally advanced noninflammatory breast cancer (LABC) is still under debate. Proliferation markers are the majority of genes included in RNA-based prognostic gene signatures applied for breast cancer patients. Methods: During 1991-1998, a total of 315 LABC patients (cT1-cT4/cN0-N1) were treated with NRT-CHX. Preoperative radiotherapy (RT) consisted of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) of 50 Gy (5 × 2 Gy/week) to the breast and the supra-/infraclavicular lymph nodes combined with an electron boost in 214 cases afterwards or -in case of breast conservation- a 10-Gy interstitial boost with (192)Ir after loading before EBRT. Chemotherapy was given prior to RT in 192 patients, and concomitantly in 113; 10 patients received no chemotherapy. The impact of age, tumor grade, nodal status, hormone and growth factor receptor status (ER, PR, EGFR), p53, ki-67, HER2/neu, and bcl-2 on pathological complete response pCR and disease-free survival were exami...