The results of recent studies investigating the role of platinum-based chemotherapy (PBCT) in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) were conflicting. We retrospectively investigated a large cohort (n = 379) of mTNBC to re-evaluate the role of platinums. Longer PFS was found in patients with PBCT than those with non-PBCT (7.8 vs. 4.9 months, P < 0.001) as first-line chemotherapy, but no statistical difference of OS was observed. Compared with other kinds of platinum, cisplatin-based regimens as the first-line chemotherapy showed better PFS (8.0 vs. 4.3 months, P = 0.03) and better ORR. Introduction of ≥2 lines, rather than 1 line, of PBCT can result in better OS when compared with no introduction of PBCT during the whole treatment. If considering the timing of intervention of PBCT, first-line introduction and later line introduction of PBCT did not make any difference in OS among patients with only one line PBCT during the whole treatment. We concluded that PBCT with only 1 line during the whole treatment might not be necessary for unselected mTNBC with the exception of an urgent demand to control disease or symptoms, however, ≥2 lines of PBCT did prolong OS.
Keywords: chemotherapy; metastatic breast cancer; platinums; triple-negative.