Taxpas: Epidemiological and Survival Data in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with a Docetaxel-Based Chemotherapy Regimen in South Africa

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among South African women. There is limited South African epidemiological data on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Taxpas was a nonrandomized observational survey conducted in multiple centres in South Africa from April 2004 to December 2010. 1632 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer, with a median age of 51 years, were enrolled in the survey. Patients were treated on a docetaxel-based chemotherapy regimen. The objective of the study was to assess epidemiological data and survival data. The incidence of TNBC was 14%. The one-year survival rate for the total cohort was 84%. The one-year survival rate for patients with early stage and metastatic breast cancer was recorded as 94% and 65%, respectively. Patients with TNBC stage III (all ages) and stage IV (≤50 years) had statistically significant worse 1-year survival rate compared to N-TNBC patients of the same age and stages. Conclusion. The incidence of TNBC in South Africa which is 14% is comparable to global incidence. The 1-year survival data for certain subgroups supports the literature saying that TNBC carries a worse prognosis compared to N-TNBC. Women ≤50 years diagnosed with late stage TNBC carried the worst prognosis in this survey. 1. Introduction Breast cancer is the leading cancer among South African women who have a 1 in 29 lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, with an age-standardized incidence rate of 30.6 per 100,000 population [1]. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the lack of expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) [2]. These cancers occur in approximately 12 to 17% of women with breast cancer and are associated with an unfavourable prognosis [3]. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of advanced breast cancer treatment. Taxanes, together with anthracyclines, represent classes of drugs with very strong evidence of efficacy. Docetaxel, in particular, is an effective antineoplastic agent against both locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer and has shown increased survival rates in studies conducted in both early and advanced stage breast cancer patients irrespective of age, hormonal expression, or HER-2 status [4, 5]. There is limited local epidemiological data on TNBC versus N-TNBC, especially with regard to the impact of age, stage, and treatment regimens on survival. In the Taxpas survey particular attention was paid to the TNBC subgroup of patients. 2. Methods Taxpas was a prospective, non-randomized, multicenter, observational survey