On April 25th of this year, in one of the most influential oncology journals, "JAMA Oncology" (Impact Factor 28.4), the preliminary results of the international clinical trial OPBC-04 OMA were presented. The trial involved a scientist from Vilnius University and a surgeon from the National Cancer Institute (NVI), Dr. Edvin Ostapenko.
The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of local and distant recurrences in patients with breast cancer whose changes in axillary lymph nodes decreased to ypN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and whether this frequency differs depending on the surgical treatment method. According to the latest data from the Lithuanian Cancer Registry, there were 1,769 cases of breast cancer and 490 deaths in Lithuania.
Edvin Ostapenko, PhD / MF archyvas
"Over the past 50 years, a lot of effort has been made to improve surgical treatment methods for breast cancer, aiming not only to prolong survival but also to ensure better quality of life for patients. In this study, we confirmed the oncological safety and effectiveness of sentinel lymph node biopsy for patients with breast cancer whose changes in axillary lymph nodes decreased to ypN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Over time, these results will reduce the number of unnecessary breast surgeries and complications, leading to a better quality of life for patients. The success of this multicenter study only confirms how important it is to conduct clinical trials and apply their results as quickly as possible in clinical practice when treating patients with cancer," commented Dr. E. Ostapenko, co-author of the article and surgeon at NVI.
Preliminary data from the clinical trial conducted by Dr. Edvin Ostapenko and his team were presented in 2023 at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in San Antonio, USA, and at the 18th St. Gallen Breast Cancer Conference of the European Society of Medical Oncology.
The published article can be found here.