Dr. Goetz on Adjuvant Capecitabine Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery

Matthew Goetz, MD, medical oncologist, professor of Oncology, associate professor of Pharmacology, and professor of Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic, discusses a phase III study looking at capecitabine (Xeloda) in patients with residual breast cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery.

The study found that the disease-free survival rate with capecitabine was 74.1% versus 67.6% with standard therapy alone and overall survival for patients receiving capecitabine was 89.2% compared with 83.9% for those in the standard therapy arm, after 5 years of follow-up.

These findings are not only statistically significant, but clinically significant, says Goetz.

This study suggests that, going forward, it may be beneficial to consider taking a neoadjuvant chemotherapy approach before identifying which patients respond to chemotherapy and determining which may be eligible for capecitabine, says Goetz.

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