How long should breast cancer patients whose surgeries are delayed due to COVID-19 remain on neoadjuvant endocrine therapy?

Topics: Breast Cancer • Medical Oncology • NCI-CCC Tumor Board Question • Ohio State University • COVID-19 • NCI-CCC Breast Tumor Board Question

For patients with low risk, early stage, HR+/HER2- breast cancer who initiated endocrine therapy in order to delay their surgery due to the COVID 19 epidemic, what would be the ideal duration of endocrine therapy? Should such patients continue for 4-6 months in order to assess their response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy? Alternatively, should such patients move forward with the surgery as soon as COVID-19 restriction for breast surgeries are lifted?

Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution

How long to continue neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) when it was initiated for the purposes of COVID-19 management depends on several variables, including whether the tumor is at least stable on NET (if not, then conversion to surgery or chemotherapy is appropriate), and what the COVID-19 trajec...

Comments

Medical Oncologist at Pacific Cancer Care
How does neoadjuvant endocrine therapy impact the ...

Medical Oncologist at Clinical Instructor
This may be a helpful thread regarding OncoType af...

Medical Oncologist at Pacific Cancer Care
Thank you!

Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution

I completely agree with @Lisa A. Carey here. We tended to do this with older women who are/were not fit for surgery in the pre-COVID era. There is no reason not to continue this practice now.

Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution

I strongly agree with @Lisa A. Carey's recommendation. Multiple clinical trials showed the safety and efficacy of this approach.

Related Questions