Outcomes of Women with Non-Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Oman: A single-centre experience

Abstract

Objectives: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and heterogeneous variants of breast cancer. However, little is known regarding the prevalence and outcome of this entity in the Middle East. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of TNBC patients at a university hospital in Oman. Methods: This retrospective study took place at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in May 2017. All patients diagnosed with non-metastatic TNBC between December 2000 and December 2015 were included. The patients’ electronic medical records were reviewed to identify their clinical and pathological characteristics as well as survival outcomes. Results: A total of 79 patients were diagnosed with non-metastatic TNBC during the study period. The median age was 46 years, with approximately one-third of patients (31.6%) under 40 years of age. Almost half had an advanced tumour size (49.4%) or node-positive disease (48.1%) at presentation and only 16.6% demonstrated a complete pathological response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The median survival for all patients was not reached within the study period; however, the median overall survival for stage III patients was 44.6 months. The five-year overall survival for all patients was 64%, increasing to 100% and 72% for patients with stage I and II, respectively, and dropping to 47% for those with stage III disease. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the majority of women with TNBC in Oman present at an advanced stage; moreover, such women have low rates of pCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and poor five-year survival.

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Triple-Negative Breast Cancer; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Survival; Patient Outcome Assessment; Oman.