Survivability Rate Of Breast Cancer

What Is The Survival Rate Of Breast Cancer

The National Cancer Institutes Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database, as published by the American Cancer Society, groups five-year relative breast cancer survival rates into the following three classifications:

• Localized When theres no sign that the malignancy has metastasized beyond the breast, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. Notably, this figure pertains only to invasive breast cancer and does not include ductal carcinoma in situ .
• Regional Once breast cancer spreads to nearby structures or lymph nodes, the five-year relative survival rate decreases to 86%.
• Distant After breast cancer has metastasized to distant areas of the body , the five-year relative survival rate lowers to 29%.

Combining all of these stages together produces an overall five-year relative breast cancer survival rate of 90%. The American Cancer Society has also published data indicating that the 10-year relative survival rate is 84%, and that the 15-year relative survival rate is 80%. It should be noted that none of these survival rates apply to inflammatory breast cancer or triple negative breast cancer.

Stage 3 Breast Cancer

Stage 3 breast cancer has spread outside the breast but not to distant sites. The cancer is typically in nearby lymph nodes or skin.

Stage 3 breast cancer is typically harder to treat than earlier stages. This, however, ultimately depends on several factors, including:

• hormone receptivity

A doctor can help a person better understand the stage of cancer and how that will affect treatment options and their outlook.

Healthcare professionals distinguish between the following stages of stage 3 breast cancer:

Is There A Genetic Link To Male Breast Cancer

The major cause of male breast cancer is genetic predisposition. About 20% of men who develop breast cancer will have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The same genes that can raise breast cancer risks in women BRCA1 and BRCA2 work similarly in men.

Additional risk factors for breast cancer in men include:

Read Also: How To Tell If Breast Cancer Has Metastasized

Read Also: Do You Lose Your Nipples After Breast Cancer

What Are Cancer Survival Statistics

A key part of making a prognosis is looking at survival rates. These are numbers researchers collect over many years in people with the same type of cancer. These numbers are based on large groups of people. For breast cancer, there are two main measurements:

Breast cancer survivalrates reflect the percentage of women who are alive 5 years or longer after their diagnosis. This means the numbers are based on women who were found to have breast cancer at least 5 years ago. Advances in diagnosing and treating cancer have led to steadily improving survival rates, so the outlook for women diagnosed today is likely better.

Relative survival rates donât take into account the cause of death. Theyâre a measure of the percentage of people with cancer who have lived for a certain time after diagnosis, compared with people who did not have cancer.

Chronic Metabolic Conditions Affect Metastatic Breast Cancer Survival Rates

Early detection and screening of breast cancer has allowed most women to thrive long after their diagnosis. However, women of color persistently experience disparities in outcomes. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation have been working to find ways to reduce these disparities and improve the survival rates for all women with breast cancer.

Their most recent research found that the risk of death among women with metastatic breast cancer increases with increasing numbers of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The study was published Oct. 4, 2022, in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Focusing on managing chronic medical conditions in metastatic breast cancer patients may also help reduce disparities in all-cause and breast cancer-related mortality, said the senior author, Reina Haque, PhD, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation and the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, both in Pasadena, Calif.

Early-stage breast cancer is highly survivable, with 5-year survival rates near 99%. Given the high screening rates and advances in treatment, when diagnosed at an early stage, breast cancer can be managed like a chronic condition. However, there is much room for improvement in the 5-year survival rate among women with metastatic breast cancer, which is only 29%, Dr. Haque said.

You May Like: Can X Ray Detect Breast Cancer

How Is Breast Cancer Staged

Typically, breast cancer staging is determined using a scale between 0 and IV . Stage 0 refers to cancers like carcinoma in situ which are non-invasive and stay in their original location, whilst stage IV refers to an invasive cancer that has spread. Using the TNM system, cancers are staged by taking into account seven pieces of information: 3

Factors Influencing Metastatic Breast Cancer Prognosis

There are several factors that can impact the prognosis of metastatic breast cancer, these include:

• Hormone receptors on cancer cells
• The type of tissue involved
• The number of tumors/extent of metastasis
• A persons overall attitude and outlook on the prognosis

Of course, no factors can accurately predict the exact prognosis for a person with metastatic breast cancer. These statistics are based on many clinical research studies, looking at survival rates for people diagnosed with breast cancer at all stages. But the prognosis of each person is different, regardless of what the statistics indicate.

Recommended Reading: Is Breast Cancer Curable In The 3 Stage

Also Check: How Often Does Stage 1 Breast Cancer Come Back

Factors Related To Survival Rates In Breast Cancer Patients

Analysis of tumor-related factors and prognosis for the 1381 breast cancer patients are given in Table 2. Univariate analyses of breast cancer patients with tumor-related factors indicated the incidences, disease lesions, and pathological breast cancer types have no significant correlation with long-term survival rates . Factors such as the number of axillary lymph node metastasis, maximum diameter of tumor, TNM stage, and hormone receptor levels were significantly correlated with long-term disease-free survival rates .

Clinical Data And Tumor Characteristics

The surgeon identifying the cases and constructing the database also collected data regarding date of diagnosis, menopausal status, height, weight, parity, laterality, tumor location, and distant metastases through medical records and the Swedish Cancer Registry. Information concerning tumor size, histological type, and ALNI was retrieved from histopathological examinations. Tumor type was classified using a modification of the World Health Organization classification as proposed by Linell et al. . ALNI was divided into positive, negative, or unknown if no axillary dissection had been performed.

Also Check: What Treatments Are There For Breast Cancer

Where Do These Numbers Come From

The American Cancer Society relies on information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute , to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.

The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for breast cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by AJCC TNM stages . Instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages:

• Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast.
• Regional: The cancer has spread outside the breast to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
• Distant: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body such as the lungs, liver or bones.

From Cured To Stage 4

Others, like Teri Pollastro, a 54-year-old stage 4 patient from Seattle, respond surprisingly well.

Diagnosed with early stage ductal carcinoma in situ in 1999, Pollastro underwent a mastectomy but did not receive chemotherapy, radiation or tamoxifen, since her cancer was ER negative.

âThey used the C-word with me, they told me I was cured,â she said. âEvery time I went back to my oncologist, he would roll his eyes at me when I had questions.â

In 2003, Pollastro switched to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance where she saw Dr. Julie Gralow, a breast cancer oncologist and clinical researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Gralow discovered Pollastroâs cancer had metastasized to her liver.

âMy husband and I were in shock,â said Pollastro of her mets diagnosis. âYou donât go from being cured to stage 4.â

Pollastro went on Herceptin, a type of immunotherapy for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, and did six months of chemotherapy.

âI felt better right away with the treatment,â she said. âBut the problem is, it stopped . Thatâs what you can expect with mets. And thereâs always some residual cancer. And that starts percolating.â

And along with mets, she also had to deal with many misconceptions regarding her disease.

The Mercer Island, Washington, mother of two, who often counsels newly diagnosed patients, sometimes even found it difficult to relate to early stage breast cancer survivors.

You May Like: What Is Grade 3 Invasive Breast Cancer

Survival Rates And Mortality Rates

Survival depends on mortality. You start with 100 percent of the people in the group.

100 percent mortality rate = survival rate

Say, the mortality rate in the group of people is 5 percent. Survival would be 95 percent .

Similarly, the number of people in a group who survive depends on the number of people who die. Say, 500 people are in the group and 1 person dies. This means 499 people survived .

Relative Survival Rate By Stage

The survival rates by stage are based on the stage at the time of diagnosis. Youâve probably been given a number and letter for your cancer stage. Here, the terms localized, regional, and distant are used instead of numbers and letters. Hereâs what they mean and the 5-year relative survival rates for each:

• Localized breast cancer is only in the breast. This includes stage IA , some IIA , and some IIB . The 5-year relative survival rate is 99%.
• Regional breast cancer has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes. This includes stage IB , some IIA , some IIB , and all stage III . The 5-year relative survival rate is 86%.
• Distant breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This includes stage IV, pronounced âstage 4â). The 5-year relative survival rate is 28%.

Read Also: Where Can Breast Cancer Be

Survival Rates For Breast Cancer

Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time after they were diagnosed. They cant tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.

Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they cant predict what will happen in any particular persons case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor, who is familiar with your situation, about how these numbers may apply to you.

What Survival Rate Really Means With Cancer

Survival rate is defined as the percent of people who survive a disease such as cancer for a specified amount of time, but may be presented in a number of different ways. Survival rates does not indicate if a cancer is cured or if treatment is completed. Survival rates are also statistics looking at a broad range of people. They do not necessarily predict how an individual with a particular subtype of cancer will do. Learn about the common definitions describing survival with cancer, and the limitations of statistics.

Also Check: How To Feel For Breast Cancer Lumps

Us Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations Tool

The Data Visualizations tool makes it easy for anyone to explore and use the latest official federal government cancer data from United States Cancer Statistics. It includes the latest cancer data covering the U.S. population.

See how the rates of new breast cancers or breast cancer deaths changed over time for the entire United States and individual states.Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance on other federal or private website.

According To The Acs 5 Year Survival Rates Are A Less Valid Measure Than Mortality Because Finding More Cancers Earlier Can Actually Skew The Results Mammography Can Detect Cancers Earlier Than If They Had Been Found By Physical Examination But That Does Not Necessarily Mean That Those Cancers Would Have Been Deadly Or If Early Detection Simply Extends The Number Of Years We Know About Them And Therefore Makes A Measure 5 Years From Diagnosis Look More Positive Than It Actually Is

It is often repeated that 98% of women with early stage breast cancer are alive at five years after diagnosis. However, an estimated 20% to 30% of women will have a recurrence of their disease, and may go on to die of the disease, but are included as survivors in these five-year survival statistics. We still do not know how to prevent recurrence and metastasis for most women or how many of the women reported to have survived five years will go on to have a recurrence and metastasis. NBCC- National Breast Cancer Coalition website

Read Also: Does Your Arm Hurt With Breast Cancer

What Overall Cancer Survival Rates Cannot Tell You

Overall cancer survival stats are based off thousands of patients. None of them are in an identical situation as you, other than they have a particular type of cancer. The statistics should not dissuade you from considering a treatment. The stats do not represent your chance for remission. In fact, many people choose to ignore the survival statistic.

Your lifestyle, habits, and other medical conditions are unique. To this end, your chance for remission may be higher than the statistics suggest.

Again, your doctor can diagnose you to weed out information that is not pertinent to your individual situation. Just as cancer should not define you, neither should overall cancer survival statistics.

These survival rates cannot:

Provide information on the most recent treatments. There is ongoing research that could be making information from five years ago irrelevant. Keep in mind that todays research will not impact survival stats for at least five years.

Tell you which treatments to choose. Thats up to you and your doctor. For some people, the treatment with the most excellent chance for remission is the one theyll want. However, do consider cost, treatment schedule, and side effects.

Recommended Reading: Stage 1b Breast Cancer Prognosis

What About Breast Cancer In Men

Breast cancer in men is rare less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases but it can still occur, according to the ACS. A mans risk of getting breast cancer during his lifetime is about

The stages of breast cancer relate to how much the cancer has grown and how far its spread. Generally, the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed and treated, the higher the chances for long-term survival.

The stages of breast cancer are based on the following factors:

• whether the lymph nodes contain cancer cells
• whether the cancer has metastasized, meaning its spread to other, more distant parts of the body

Since 2018, the following factors have also been used to determine breast cancer stage:

• whether the cancer cells have hormone receptors and need estrogen or progesterone to grow
• whether the cancer cells have the HER2 protein that helps them grow
• tumor grade, meaning how aggressive the cells look under the microscope

You May Like: What Is The Prognosis For Metastatic Breast Cancer

Interactive Statistics With Seer*explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can…

• Create custom graphs and tables

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

What Is The Survival Outlook For Breast Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute , the percentage of patients surviving five years after diagnosis is:

• 99 percent for breast cancer that is still local to the breast
• 86 percent for breast cancer that has spread just outside the breast
• 29 percent for breast cancer that has spread to more distant parts of the body

The NCI also lists the five-year survival rate for breast cancer overall as 90.6 percent for women and 83 percent for men.

You May Like: How Many People Are Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Per Year

Metastatic Breast Cancer: The Basics

Metastatic breast cancer , is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and the surrounding lymph nodes to other parts of the body, Nancy Lin, MD, an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told Health. Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients will develop metastatic breast cancer following an initial earlier-stage diagnosis, according to a review in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Meanwhile, the American Society of Clinical Oncology reports that just 6% of women have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed.

“Basically what’s happening is the cancer cells are growingthey get into the bloodstream which then allows them to travel to distant sites ,” Evelyn Toyin Taiwo, MD, hematologist and oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, told Health. Metastatic breast cancer cells most often take up residence in the bones, liver, lungs, and brain, said Dr. Taiwo, but they can spread anywhere in the body.