OBJECTIVES:
- Identify surrogate markers of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that are predictive of pathologic remissions and survival in women with stage III breast cancer.
- Identify two groups of patients who have statistically different 3-year disease-free survival using MRI measurements of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
- Determine whether MRI measurements of tumor response after the first course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy can predict which of these patients will ultimately have poor clinical response to chemotherapy.
- Compare the accuracy of MRI vs mammography in predicting the extent of residual disease as determined by histopathology in these patients.
- Determine whether initial MRI tumor characteristics (morphologic and vascular patterns) predict pathological response and/or survival in these patients.
- Estimate the conditional probability of response to paclitaxel based on MRI measurements of response to doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
Patients receive an injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine and undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the breast within 4 weeks before beginning neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 20-28 hours or 48-96 hours after the first course of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (Type 1 chemotherapy), between Type 1 chemotherapy and paclitaxel chemotherapy regimens (Type 2 chemotherapy) (MRI only) if the patient continues to Type 2 chemotherapy, and 3-4 weeks after final neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment (1-2 weeks before surgery).
Patients also undergo mammograms and possibly ultrasounds that coincide with the first and last MRI. Core or needle biopsy is performed after the first MRI but before the first course of Type 1 chemotherapy and between Type 1 chemotherapy and Type 2 chemotherapy (if the patient continues to Type 2 chemotherapy).
Patients are followed every 6 months for 7-10 years.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 244 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
- Histologically confirmed stage III breast cancer per CALGB criteria
- Tumor that is ≥ 3 cm
- Concurrent enrollment in the CALGB-49808 trial OR
- Receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of a taxane-based regimen alone (chemotherapy Type 1) or followed by an anthracycline-based regimen (chemotherapy Type 2) and enrolled in CALGB Correlative Science trial 150007
- Patients who decline participation in CALGB-49808 or those with HER-2/neu-negative tumors are eligible if tumor is at least 3 cm and they choose to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- Hormone receptor status:
- Not specified
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age
- 18 and over
Sex:
- Female
Menopausal status:
- Not specified
Performance status
- Not specified
Life expectancy
- Not specified
Hematopoietic
- Not specified
Hepatic
- Not specified
Renal
- Not specified
Cardiovascular
- No pacemaker
Other
- Not pregnant
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
- No contraindications to MRI (e.g., ferromagnetic prosthesis, cranial vascular clips, or claustrophobia)
- Creatinine clearance > 30 mL/min
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy
- Not specified
Chemotherapy
- See Disease Characteristics
Endocrine therapy
- Not specified
Radiotherapy
- Not specified
Surgery
- Not specified
Last updated: 04/10/2010
NCT ID: NCT00043017
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