Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on intraoperative core temperature in patients with breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study

Background: Clinical evidence suggests that chemotherapeutic agents are associated with neuropathy and peripheral autonomic dysfunction. However, the possible effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on intraoperative temperature remain poorly characterised. Methods: We evaluated patients who underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer between April 2016 and July 2020. Propensity scores were used to match patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with those who did not, and intraoperative core temperature patterns were analysed in the matched cohort. The independent associations between vasopressor use and heart rate during general anaesthesia in the matched cohort were also analysed. Results: Data from 1764 patients were analysed (882 patients in each group). Both groups presented a similar pattern of heat redistribution and subsequent rewarming; however, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group did not reach the same intraoperative plateau temperature as the group that did not receive prior chemotherapy, with differences of up to 0.4°C (95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.63°C; P=0.005). In a subgroup analysis, neuropathy in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increased use of vasopressors and higher heart rate. Conclusions: In patients with breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with lower plateau core temperatures, increased vasopressor use, and higher heart rates during general anaesthesia, which is more severe in the presence of neuropathy.