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Is breast cancer survival improving?

Trends in survival for patients with recurrent breast cancer diagnosed from 1974 through 2000

  1. Sharon H. Giordano M.D.1,†,*,
  2. Aman U. Buzdar M.D.1,
  3. Terry L. Smith M.S.2,
  4. Shu-Wan Kau B.S.N.1,
  5. Ying Yang M.S.2,
  6. Gabriel N. Hortobagyi M.D.1

Article first published online: 10 NOV 2003

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.11859

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 100, Issue 1, pages 44–52, 1 January 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Giordano, S. H., Buzdar, A. U., Smith, T. L., Kau, S.-W., Yang, Y. and Hortobagyi, G. N. (2004), Is breast cancer survival improving?. Cancer, 100: 44–52. doi: 10.1002/cncr.11859

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  2. 2

    Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  1. †

    Fax: (713) 794-4385

*Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 424, Houston, TX 77030

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 17 DEC 2003
  2. Article first published online: 10 NOV 2003
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 30 SEP 2003
  4. Manuscript Revised: 26 SEP 2003
  5. Manuscript Received: 29 AUG 2003

Funded by

  • Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Research Fund

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Keywords:

  • breast cancer;
  • survival;
  • prognostic factors;
  • recurrence

In the current study, the authors analyzed the survival of 834 women who developed recurrent breast cancer between November 1974 and December 2000. Their findings suggest that the prognosis of patients with recurrent breast cancer has improved, with a 1% reduction in risk of death for each increasing year.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in therapies for breast cancer, improvement in survival for patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer has been difficult to establish. The objective of the current study was to determine whether the survival of women with recurrent breast cancer has improved from 1974 to 2000.

METHODS

The authors analyzed the survival experience of 834 women who developed recurrent breast cancer between November 1974 and December 2000. All patients had been treated previously with adjuvant anthracycline-based protocols. Patients were divided into five consecutive groups based on year of breast cancer recurrence, and survival was compared across the five groups. Because some prognostic variables were divided unevenly divided among the cohorts, a multivariate model was created to determine the association of year of recurrence and survival after accounting for other prognostic factors.

RESULTS

In the unadjusted analysis, there was a statistically significant improvement in survival across the five groups, and the more recent cohorts had longer survival (P < 0.001). Other variables that predicted longer survival after breast cancer recurrence included smaller initial tumor size, lower stage of disease, fewer lymph nodes involved, longer disease-free interval, estrogen receptor–positive tumors, and nonvisceral dominant site of disease recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, which adjusted for these prognostic factors, year of recurrence was associated with a trend toward improved survival, with a 1% reduction in risk for each increasing year.

CONCLUSIONS

For these cohorts of patients, the authors present data suggesting that the prognosis for patients with recurrent breast cancer improved between 1974 and 2000. Cancer 2004;100:44–52. © 2003 American Cancer Society.

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