Modifications of Hormone Receptors and Biological Parameters of Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated With First-line Chemotherapy. Prospective Biological Study.
Modifications of Hormone Receptors and Biological Parameters of Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated With First-line Chemotherapy. Prospective Biological Study.
RATIONALE: Studying biopsy samples in the laboratory from patients with cancer may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.
PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying biopsy samples in women who are receiving first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
OBJECTIVES:
Primary
Secondary
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
Patients receive 6-9 courses of front-line chemotherapy according to the investigator. Patients with estrogen receptor- and/or progesterone receptor-positive disease receive hormone therapy.
Patients undergo biopsy prior to and after completion of chemotherapy for examination of hormone receptors and HER1 and HER2 expression.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 6 months for 5 years.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast
No inflammatory breast cancer
Measurable disease according to RECIST criteria
Hormone receptor status:
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: