Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39283369›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2025

Regional differences in neo/adjuvant chemotherapy timing in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer in England.

Laaeba Mirza, Luke Steventon, Rebecca Roylance, Chantelle Hughes, Chiara Creed, Emma Morris, Ian Purcell, Suzanne Frank, Neil Masters, Pinkie Chambers

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Laaeba Mirza *University College London, School of Pharmacy, Mezzanine Floor, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP, UK. laaebamirza100@gmail.com.
Luke Steventon *University College London, School of Pharmacy, Mezzanine Floor, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP, UK.
Rebecca RoylanceUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PP, UK.
Chantelle HughesUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PP, UK.
Chiara CreedUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PP, UK.
Emma MorrisUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PP, UK.
Ian PurcellNottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Campus, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK.
Suzanne FrankThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Rd, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
Neil MastersWeston Park Cancer Centre, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2JF, UK.
Pinkie ChambersUniversity College London, School of Pharmacy, Mezzanine Floor, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer histological type that is predictive of poor outcomes, shorter remission periods and reduced survival. TNBC is treated with surgery and neo/adjuvant chemotherapy, with evidence of association between longer periods from surgery to adjuvant chemotherapy (time to chemotherapy, TTC) and poorer survival outcomes. This study investigated regional differences in TTC period between regions and ethnic groups to evaluate equity of care in the English TNBC population. Time from neoadjuvant chemotherapy to surgery (time to surgery, TTS) was also compared between groups.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study compared TTC and TTS periods in TNBC patients in England over a two-year period. TTC and TTS were compared by English region and ethnicity, testing for significant differences in treatment pathway timing by these demographics.

results1347 TNBC patients were included in the study. Significant regional differences in TTC were observed, with the longest median period of 50 days (IQR 36, 83) in the Midlands compared to 38 days (IQR 27, 55) in the North West (p < 0.001). No significant differences in TTS were observed between regions. Ethnicity was not significantly associated with timeliness of neo/adjuvant chemotherapy initiation (p > 0.05).

conclusionThese findings suggest regional differences in TTC for patients treated with surgery and chemotherapy for TNBC. Given evidence of increased mortality risk as the TTC period increases, the causes of regional disparities warrant further investigation. This study can inform targets for improvement in the delivery of adjuvant chemotherapy in cancer treatment centres in England.

Indexed as

Triple Negative Breast NeoplasmsAdultAgedChemotherapy, AdjuvantEnglandFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoadjuvant TherapyNeoplasm StagingRetrospective StudiesTime-to-TreatmentTreatment OutcomeBreastCancerChemotherapyDelaySurgeryTriple-negative

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.