Effect of taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy on breast cancer-related lymphedema: A propensity score matching study.

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a common complication of breast cancer treatment. Previous studies have suggested an association between BCRL and adjuvant chemotherapy; however, whether taxane-based regimens independently influence the risk of BCRL remains controversial due to potential confounding factors. Propensity score matching (PSM) can effectively reduce confounding bias. This study aims to investigate the association between taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy and BCRL using PSM.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted using data from the electronic medical record system of Xiangya Third Hospital, Central South University. BCRL was diagnosed based on objective measurements of limb circumference. Taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy was defined as chemotherapy regimens including docetaxel, paclitaxel, or albumin-bound paclitaxel. PSM was applied to control for potential confounders, followed by Logistic regression analysis in the matched cohort to evaluate the association between taxane-based chemotherapy and BCRL.

RESULTS

A total of 1 494 patients were included in this study. Before PSM, taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy was not significantly associated with BCRL (OR=0.979, 95% CI 0.587 to 1.580; P=0.932). After PSM, 363 matched patients were obtained, and the association remained non-significant (OR=0.959, 95% CI 0.540 to 1.672; P=0.885).

CONCLUSIONS

Taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy is not an independent risk factor for BCRL, regardless of adjustment for known confounding factors. Further multicenter, prospective studies are warranted to further validate these findings.