Clinical calculator summary
CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity Score
Clinical calculator summary
CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity Score
The eight-item breast-specific additive score grouping observed grade 3-5 chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with stage I-III breast cancer.
Evidence-based context for fast calculator use
- Purpose:
- Support neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy toxicity discussion alongside geriatric assessment
- Population:
- Adults age 65 years or older with stage I-III breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy
- Factors:
- Stage, Anthracycline-containing regimen, Treatment duration, Hemoglobin, Liver function, Falls, Walking more than one mile, Crisis-advice social support
- Reference:
- Magnuson et al., J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(17):1894-1902
CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity
Clinical Context & Background
Stage II/III +3; anthracycline-containing regimen +1; treatment duration >3 months +4; low hemoglobin +3; abnormal liver function +3; one or more falls +4; limited walking >1 mile +3; limited crisis-advice support +3. Sum 0-24.Reference Data
| Risk group | Score | Validation-cohort observed grade 3-5 toxicity incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Low Risk | 0-5 | 27% |
| Intermediate Risk | 6-11 | 45% |
| High Risk | 12-24 | 76% |
Clinical Workflow
Use, Interpret, And Continue The Patient Pathway
Expand for workflow guidance, limitations, examples, and related next steps.
Clinical Workflow
Use, Interpret, And Continue The Patient Pathway
Expand for workflow guidance, limitations, examples, and related next steps.
When To Use
- Use before neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy when all eight source-defined responses are available.
- Use only when the patient and clinical setting match the population described for CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity Score.
How To Interpret
- Scores 0-5, 6-11, and 12-24 map to low, intermediate, and high groups. The displayed 27%, 45%, and 76% values are validation-cohort incidences, not individualized probabilities; development-cohort incidences were 19%, 54%, and 87%.
- Interpret thresholds with the entered units, current clinical status, and local guideline context.
What To Do Next
- Review recurrence risk, expected treatment benefit, comprehensive geriatric assessment, regimen options, supportive care, patient goals, and preferences together with the score.
- Document the inputs, result, clinical judgment, and any reason for deviating from the model-guided pathway.
Limitations
- Do not apply outside adults age 65 or older with stage I-III breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, or use the score alone to omit treatment.
- This calculator supports clinical assessment and does not independently prescribe treatment.
Validated Population
Adults age 65 years or older with stage I-III breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy
Clinical example
A score of 12 is in the high group and is contextualized by the observed validation-cohort incidence while decisions remain individualized.
Calculation verification history
Verified
Calculation verification history
Verified: Production browser revalidation
- Three source-backed cases passed through all eight visible production controls at scores 0, 6, and 24.
- Low, Intermediate, and High groups matched the 0-5, 6-11, and 12-24 boundaries with separately labeled validation- and development-cohort incidences.
- No unexpected N/A, stale control, literal undefined value, or browser-console error was observed.
Case-level evidence is retained in validation/browser-revalidation/carg-bc-breast-chemotherapy-toxicity-2026-08-03.json.
: Production browser validation
- Ten source-backed cases were exercised on the public production route through visible browser controls; 10/10 case records passed their expected-versus-observed assertions across 11 visible submissions.
- Overall browser status: failed-console. medium: Production emitted minified React error #418 during route loads/reloads used by this run.
- Case-level inputs, expected and observed results, reset/repeat behavior, failure reproductions, and console evidence are retained in the production-browser evidence record.
Case-level production evidence is retained in validation/browser-production/carg-bc-breast-chemotherapy-toxicity.json.
: Full validation test
- Verified all 256 binary combinations, risk boundaries, trace reconciliation, strict missing/invalid-input rejection, no-default behavior, and exact UI serialization.
- Labeled 27%/45%/76% as validation-cohort incidences and 19%/54%/87% separately as development-cohort incidences, never individualized probabilities.
: Correction history
- Corrected planned treatment duration over 3 months from +1 to the source-defined +4 and restored the full 0-24 score range.
Verification confirms the calculator implementation against the cited model; it is not independent clinical validation, regulatory approval, or medical advice.
Related Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity Score used for?
Support neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy toxicity discussion alongside geriatric assessment. It is intended for adults age 65 years or older with stage i-iii breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.
Does CARG-BC Breast Chemotherapy Toxicity Score determine treatment by itself?
No. Confirm the population, inputs, contraindications, competing risks, and current guideline recommendations before acting on the result.
Evidence-based oncology decision support. Verify with clinical guidelines.