Our previous study indicated that a high amount of visceral adipose tissue was associated with poor survival outcomes in patients with early breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, inconsistency was observed in the prognostic role of body composition in breast cancer treatment outcomes. In the present study, we aimed to validate our previous research by performing a comprehensive body composition analysis in patients with a standardized clinical background. We included 198 patients with stage III breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy between January 2007 and June 2015. The impact of body composition on pathologic complete response and survival outcomes was determined. Body composition measurements had no significant effect on pathologic complete response. Survival analysis showed a low ratio of total visceral adipose tissue to subcutaneous adipose tissue (V/S ratio ≤ 34) was associated with shorter overall survival. A changepoint method determined that a V/S ratio cutoff of 34 maximized the difference in overall survival. Our study indicated the prognostic effect of body composition measurements in patients with locally advanced breast cancer compared to those with early breast cancer. Further investigation will be needed to clarify the biological mechanism underlying the association of V/S ratio with prognosis in locally advanced breast cancer.
ASO Visual Abstract: Association of Tumor Molecular Subtype and Stage with Breast and Axillary Pathologic Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer