The impact of race and age on response to neoadjuvant therapy and long-term outcomes in Black and White women with early-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE: There are a paucity of data and a pressing need to evaluate response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and determine long-term outcomes in young Black women with early-stage breast cancer (EBC). METHODS: We analyzed data from 2196 Black and White women with EBC treated at the University of Chicago over the last 2 decades. Patients were divided into groups based on race and age at diagnosis: Black women [Formula: see text] 40 years, White women [Formula: see text] 40 years, Black women [Formula: see text] 55 years, and White women [Formula: see text] 55 years. Pathological complete response rate (pCR) was analyzed using logistic regression. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard and piecewise Cox models. RESULTS: Young Black women had the highest risk of recurrence, which was 22% higher than young White women (p = 0.434) and 76% higher than older Black women (p = 0.008). These age/racial differences in recurrence rates were not statistically significant after adjusting for subtype, stage, and grade. In terms of OS, older Black women had the worst outcome. In the 397 women receiving NACT, 47.5% of young White women achieved pCR, compared to 26.8% of young Black women (p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Black women with EBC had significantly worse outcomes compared to White women in our cohort study. There is an urgent need to understand the disparities in outcomes between Black and White breast cancer patients, particularly in young women where the disparity in outcome is the greatest.

miR-128-1 is not required for hair pigmentation in mice.

MicroRNAs are endogenous, regulatory RNAs implicated in many biological processes including pigmentation. Software algorithms and in vitro experiments predict that microRNAs can target pigmentation pathway genes, but few have been tested in vivo. MiR-128-1, a microRNA within the strongly selected lactase locus in the human genome, has predicted pigmentation targets. To test the role of miR-128-1 in pigment regulation, we created C57BL/6 agouti miR-128-1 knockout mice and quantified melanin deposition in hair. MiR-128-1 knockout mice have no detectable hair pigmentation phenotype. We conclude that miR-128-1 does not play a significant regulatory role in hair pigmentation in mice.

The Impact of Race and Age on Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy and Long-Term Outcomes in Black and White Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: There are a paucity of data and a pressing need to evaluate response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and determine long-term outcomes in young Black women with early-stage breast cancer (EBC). METHODS: We analyzed data from 2,196 Black and White women with EBC treated at the University of Chicago over the last 2 decades. Patients were divided into groups based on race and age at diagnosis: Black women 40 years, White women 40 years, Black women 55 years, and White women 55 years. Pathological complete response rate (pCR) was analyzed using logistic regression. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard and piecewise Cox models. RESULTS: Young Black women had the highest risk of recurrence, which was 22% higher than young White women (p=0.434) and 76% higher than older Black women (p=0.008). These age/racial differences in recurrence rates were not statistically significant after adjusting for subtype, stage, and grade. In terms of OS, older Black women had the worst outcome. In the 397 women receiving NACT, 47.5% of young White women achieved pCR, compared to 26.8% of young Black women (p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Black women with EBC had significantly worse outcomes compared to White women in our cohort study. There is an urgent need to understand the disparities in outcomes between Black and White breast cancer patients, particularly in young women where the disparity in outcome is the greatest.