Prognostic Factors in Breast Cancer
Abstract
Factors influencing the prognosis of women with surgically treated breast cancer were investigated using patients whose cancers were examined at the AFIP between 1970 and 1980. During this time effective adjuvant therapy was not available to treat early breast cancer. Social security numbers for a subset of these women were obtained by crossmatching AFIP records with the DEERS database; deaths were determined by matching the National Death Index and the Equifax National Death Search. Histologic sections were graded for nuclear pleomorphism tubule formation, and mitotic index. Lymph node status and tumor size were determined. Estmgen receptor (ER) status was determined immunocytochemically. Proliferation rate and ploidy were determined using flow cytometry. Women who survived at least three years following initial diagnosis had a survival rate influenced by the number of "positive" lymph nodes, histologic tumor grade, and ER status. Although in the short term, ER (+) have a more favorable prognosis than those who do not in the long term this finding is reversed1 with ER(+) tumors having 20 year survival of 20% lower than those with ER(-) tumors. This factor is independent of node status, patient age, tumor size, histologic grade, ploidy or proliferation rate.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA353773
Entities
People
- Jeffrey D. Seidman
- Timothy J. O'leary
Organizations
- Armed Forces Institute of Pathology