Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 13, 62-69, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Cured of breast cancer?
H Joensuu and S Toikkanen
Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Central Hospital of Turku, Finland.
PURPOSE: That patients can be ultimately cured of breast cancer has been
questioned, because late deaths from the disease have been observed even
several decades after the diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to
investigate late mortality caused by breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Using the files of local hospitals and the Finnish Cancer Registry, we
identified all patients with histologically diagnosed invasive breast
cancer in a defined urban area (city of Turku, Finland) from 1945 to 1969
(n = 601). In 563 cases (94%), clinical data and histologic and autopsy
slides could be reviewed, and these women had been monitored for a median
of 29 years (range, 22 to 44; n = 66) or until death (n = 497). RESULTS:
Mortality from breast cancer was observed even during the fourth follow-up
decade, but if women who were diagnosed with contralateral breast cancer
were excluded (n = 30), no deaths from breast cancer were identified after
the 27th year of follow-up evaluation. The 30-year survival rates were 62%
(95% confidence interval [CI], 54% to 70%), 19% (95% CI, 13% to 25%), and
0% for women with pN0 (node-negative) and pN1 or pN2 (node-positive)
disease, respectively. High 30-year survival rates were found in small
(pT1N0M0) unilateral cancers (80% alive; 95% CI, 66 to 94%), and in the
lobular (45% alive; 95% CI, 31% to 59%) and the special histologic types
(81% alive; 95% CI, 67% to 95%). These survival rates were obtained when
correcting either for known intercurrent deaths or for mortality in the
age- and sex-matched general population. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer,
node-negative and node-positive, may be permanently cured even if treated
with locoregional therapy only. The survival figures listed here may be
considered as minimum values, because women with breast cancer diagnosed in
the same area from 1970 to 1984 showed significantly improved short-term
(< 20 years) survival rates over those diagnosed from 1945 to 1969.
 CiteULike  Complore  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Facebook  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
L. Esserman, Y. Shieh, and I. Thompson
Rethinking Screening for Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer
JAMA,
October 21, 2009;
302(15):
1685 - 1692.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Singhal and V. Raina
Cure from breast cancer, not quite yet but getting there?
Ann. Onc.,
August 1, 2009;
20(8):
1291 - 1292.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Low, A. W. Berman, S. M. Steinberg, D. N. Danforth, M. E. Lippman, and S. M. Swain
Long-Term Follow-Up for Locally Advanced and Inflammatory Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Multimodality Therapy
J. Clin. Oncol.,
October 15, 2004;
22(20):
4067 - 4074.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Joensuu, T. Lehtimaki, K. Holli, L. Elomaa, T. Turpeenniemi-Hujanen, V. Kataja, A. Anttila, M. Lundin, J. Isola, and J. Lundin
Risk for Distant Recurrence of Breast Cancer Detected by Mammography Screening or Other Methods
JAMA,
September 1, 2004;
292(9):
1064 - 1073.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Brenner and T. Hakulinen
Are Patients Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Before Age 50 Years Ever Cured?
J. Clin. Oncol.,
February 1, 2004;
22(3):
432 - 438.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. B. Weiss, S. H. Woolf, E. Demakos, J. F. Holland, D. A. Berry, G. Falkson, C. T. Cirrincione, A. Robbins, S. Bothun, I. C. Henderson, et al.
Natural History of More Than 20 Years of Node-Positive Primary Breast Carcinoma Treated With Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and Fluorouracil-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Study by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B
J. Clin. Oncol.,
May 1, 2003;
21(9):
1825 - 1835.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
