Certain Breast Cancer Subtypes Have A Better Statistical Prognosis
In general, tubular, mucinous and medullary breast carcinomas have a better prognosis than the other sub-types.
The table below gives a very general approximation of the survival rates that may be associated with the different breast cancer subtypes.
However, please bear in mind that these figures are a rough generalization only and survival will always be determined by the individual characteristics of each breast cancer and each patient.
Nonetheless, the relative aggressiveness of the different breast cancer subtypes can be interpreted from the table.
and is almost always near 100% curable.)
| breast cancer sub-type | |
| Inflammatory breast carcinoma | 65% 35% |
Hormone Receptor Status Can Influence Survival Rates
When a breast cancer tumor is sent for histological analysis, one of the characteristics of the report will be the hormone receptor status of the tumor.
Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positive tumors tend to respond better to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy tends to be the treatment of choice for stage III and IV breast cancers.
Breast cancers which are triple negative tend to have the least favourable survival rates, regardless of breast cancer stage.
One 2011 research study looked at 269 triple-negative breast cancer patients all treated at the same institution between 2000 and 2006.
This study found that the average age at diagnosis was 55.3 years. The 5 year disease-free survival rate for the whole group was 68.2%. However, the 5 year overall survival rate for the entire group was higher at 74.5%.
Risk of recurrence was higher in the first 3 years following the initial diagnosis. However, the recurrence rate declined significantly after this initial 3 year period.
Other factors that were found to be important factors on survival rates were:-
- Lymph node status
- Lymphovascular invasion
- Age: Ladies older than 65 years had a poorer prognosis
However, ER and PR status tends to have more of an influence on survival than HER2 status. Patients with ER+/PR+/HER2- subtype of breast cancer have an estimated 5-year survival rate of 87.8%.
Mortality Rates Versus Number Of Breast Cancer Deaths
Sometimes its useful to have an estimate of the number of people expected to die from breast cancer in a year. This numbers helps show the burden of breast cancer in a group of people.
Numbers, however, can be hard to compare to each other. To compare mortality rates in different populations, we need to look at mortality rates rather than the number of breast cancer deaths.
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What Foods Fights Breast Cancer
Foods that may lower breast cancer risk Leafy green vegetables. Kale, arugula, spinach, mustard greens, and chard are just a few of the leafy green vegetables that may have anticancer properties. Citrus fruits. Fatty fish. Berries. Fermented foods. Allium vegetables. Peaches, apples, and pears. Cruciferous vegetables.
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 .
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Quick Answer: What Country Has Highest Breast Cancer Rate
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women and the second most common cancer overall. There were over 2 million new cases in 2018.Breast cancer rates. Rank Country Age-standardised rate per 100,000 1 Belgium 113.2 2 Luxembourg 109.3 3 Netherlands 105.9 4 France 99.1.
A Clinical Trial Could Offer Innovative Treatment Options Not Yet Widely Available
A clinical trial is a research study that uses either treatments not yet available to the general public or available treatments used in new ways or new combinations. Clinical trials are safe and effective options that can improve how breast cancer is treated. At MedStar Health, we run nearly 25 breast cancer trials at any given time to give our patientsaccess to groundbreaking cancer treatments. Currently, we’re participating in a nationwide trial to see if certain DCIS cases can be treated with an anti-hormone pill instead of using surgery as the first line of defense.
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Pearls And Other Issues
Breast cancer patients are advised to be followed up for life to detect early recurrence and spread. Yearly or biannual follow-up mammography is recommended for the treated and the other breast. The patient must be informed that they must visit a breast clinic if they have any suspicious manifestations. Currently, there is no role for repeated measurements of tumor markers or doing follow-up imaging other than mammography.
The Breast Health Program At Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
If you develop breast cancer, there’s a team of specialized cancer experts in your corner. At the Breast Health program at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, you’ll find a multi-disciplinary approach to treating all types of the disease. After you receive your diagnosis, you’ll begin meeting with a team of people that may include breast and reconstructive surgeons, medical and radiology oncologists, and physical or occupational therapists, among others.
A diagnosis may feel overwhelming at first, but you can expect our large, experienced team to deliver the best care available, both in treating the breast cancer cells and in supporting you physically and emotionally as you recover.
If you haven’t been diagnosed, be sure to schedule your annual mammogram to give yourself the best chance of catching cancer early. And if you notice any breast changes, don’t wait. Be your own health advocate and make sure to mention any concerns to your healthcare provider as soon as you notice them.
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What Tumor Factors Threaten My Life More
There are important tumor biology factors not well reflected in survival statistics by breast cancer stage. Below we list a few important factors that carry a higher risk to life beyond just the stage of cancer. You must ask your surgeon or medical oncologist to explain your receptor status and give you a copy of your biopsy pathology report.
Triple Negative Receptor breast cancer
Triple negative breast cancer is considered a more aggressive breast cancer. Invariably it does require chemotherapy. If you have triple negative breast cancer the risk of dying is higher than the standard statistics usually quoted for a particular stage of breast cancer . Learn more about Triple Negative Breast Cancer with our video lesson
HER2-Positive breast cancer
HER2-positive breast cancers are also more aggressive tumors. But the good news is that we now have incredibly effective, targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy for HER2-positive cancers. Our video lesson covers HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in more detail .
Breast Cancer at a Young Age
Women younger than 40 have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a more advanced stage breast cancer. Also, the specific cancer type younger women develop has a higher chance of being more aggressive . As a result, age is a relative risk factor for survival.
Untreated breast cancer
Teaching everyone to be an expert in their own breast cancer care.
How Survival Rate Is Estimated
Survival rates for all cancers are estimated by looking at data on large numbers of people who have a certain type of cancer. Researchers gather information about the people over periods of time, such as 5 years, 20 years, or longer.
Living Beyond Breast Cancer, like the American Cancer Society, uses U.S. survival rates based on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, known as SEER, of the National Cancer Institute . The NCI works with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries to gather this information from every state in the U.S. on an ongoing basis.
For breast cancer, the SEER database uses 5-year relative survival rates. A relative survival rate in breast cancer means that women who have the same stage and type of breast cancer are compared to women in the overall population who do not have cancer. For example, if women who have a certain stage and type of breast cancer are found to be about 90 percent as likely as women who dont have that cancer to live at least 5 years after being diagnosed, then the 5-year relative survival rate for the diagnosed women is 90 percent.
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Success In Closing Racial Survival Gap In Lung And Breast Cancer
CHICAGO System-level changes to the way cancer care is delivered can help eliminate survival disparities between Black and White patients.
When barriers to completing radiation therapy were identified and addressed in a cohort of patients with early-stage lung and breast cancer, 5-year survival rates improved for all patients and closed the racial disparity gap, researchers reported here at the American Society for Radiation Oncology 2021 Annual Meeting.
The findings come from the ACCURE clinical trial. This is the first prospective study designed to erase gaps in cancer treatment completion and survival among Black and White patient populations, explained lead author Matthew A. Manning, MD, a radiation oncologist and chief of oncology at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Thousands of studies have looked at racial disparities in healthcare, but until recently, very few studies have implemented interventions to eliminate those disparities, he said.
This study shows that the implementation of systems-change can eliminate racial disparities in cancer survival while improving survival for all, he added.
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Survival For All Stages Of Breast Cancer
Generally for women with breast cancer in England:
- Around 95 out of every 100 women survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis
- Around 85 out of every 100 women will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis
- Around 75 out of every 100 women will survive their cancer for 10 years or more after diagnosis
Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2019Office for National Statistics
These statistics are for net survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive their cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. In other words, it is the survival of cancer patients after taking into account that some people would have died from other causes if they had not had cancer.
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For Family And Friends
Caring for a loved one with stage 4 breast cancer has special challenges as well. Fortunately, organizations such as CancerCare now offer support groups design for loved ones who are caring for someone with cancer. In addition to caring for yourself , itâs helpful to learn about metastatic breast cancer.
Common things that people learn about cancer usually refer to an early-stage disease, and myths about metastatic breast cancer can be painful for those living with advanced disease. For example, one of the things not to say to someone with metastatic breast cancer is âWhen will you be done with treatment?â
For the most part, people with metastatic breast cancer will require some type of treatment for the rest of their lives.
Understanding Breast Cancer Survival Rates
Prognosis varies by stage of breast cancer.
Non-invasive and early-stage invasive breast cancers have a better prognosis than later stage cancers .
Breast cancer thats only in the breast and has not spread to the lymph nodes has a better prognosis than breast cancer thats spread to the lymph nodes.
The poorest prognosis is for metastatic breast cancer . This is when the cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body.
Learn more about breast cancer treatment.
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Survival Rates For Breast Cancer In Men
Its important to note that statistics and prognosis information are based on previous patients and past treatments, and the outlook may be even more improved when diagnosed today.
The five-year relative survival rate for men with breast cancer overall is 84 percent. This means men with breast cancer are 84 percent as likely to live five years beyond their diagnosis as men in the general population. When the cancer is localized, the five-year survival rate is 96 percent. The 10-year relative survival rate for men with breast cancer is 71 percent.
How soon youre diagnosed with breast cancer after it starts growing can affect survival rates. However, men have been found to have overall higher rates of death compared to women, which experts attribute to being diagnosed later.
Expert cancer care
Regional Relapse Following Breast Cancer Treatment Carries A Poorer Prognosis
Most localized breast cancers are treated by either breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy, or by mastectomy.
A medical study from 2010 estimates that around 40% of all women with breast cancer will suffer a recurrence.
The prognosis following a breast cancer recurrence is influenced by a number of factors. These include:-
- The Disease Free Interval: This is the time elapsed from diagnois and treatment of the first breast cancer to the recurrence
- The location of the recurrence: Whether the recurrence is in the same breast , or if it recurs in the contralateral breast, regional lymph nodes, or the chest wall .
Patients with breast cancer relapses are typically generally treated with either a salvage mastectomy, or radiation to the chest wall, regional lymph nodes, or both.
Systemic therapy may be implemented at this point. However, this will be determined on an individual basis, based on the likelihood of distant metastasis, characteristics of the tumor, and other factors.
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What Affects Prognosis
There are a number of factors that affect breast cancer prognosis. These include:
- the type of breast cancer
- the grade of the breast cancer
- the size of the breast cancer
For more information see our booklet Understanding your pathology results or visit our pathology report page.
Other factors that may affect your prognosis include your age, menopausal status , lifestyle factors and your general health.
All of these factors will be considered when estimating your prognosis and deciding what treatment youre offered.
What Is Prognosis
Prognosis, also called outlook, is an estimate of the likely course and outcome of a disease, such as the likelihood of it coming back and the persons life expectancy.
After a diagnosis of breast cancer, people often worry about their prognosis but vary in the amount of information they want to know. Some prefer not to ask about their prognosis while others want as much information as possible. It’s up to each person to decide how much information they want. Talking to your family, friends and treatment team may help you decide what information is most helpful for you.
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What Is A 5
A relative survival rate compares women with the same type and stage of breast cancer to women in the overall population.For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of breast cancer is 90%, it means that women who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as women who dont have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
Overall Breast Cancer Survival Rate For All Stages Of Breast Cancer
The overall 5 year survival rate for women with breast cancer was 89.7%. That is 89.7 out of 100 women were still alive 5 years after diagnosis, regardless of the stage of the cancer. This figure was taken from the SEERS statistics between the years of 2006 and 2012, so could well be even higher now.
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Detecting Breast Cancer With Screening And Awareness
One of the best ways to improve your chances of surviving breast cancer is to be vigilant about getting routine screenings for the disease. The earlier cancer is found, the better the outlook. According to the ACS, screening reduces breast cancer deaths by 20%. The ACS says that women at average risk for breast cancer should have the option of starting annual screening mammograms between ages 40 to 44 years, while women ages 45 to 54 years should have annual mammograms. Starting at age 55, women should have the option of receiving a mammogram every year or every two years, the ACS says.
Dr. Cairoli points out that younger women who arent covered by screening recommendations should not assume theyre not susceptible to breast cancer. Unfortunately, theres no such thing as too young. Breast cancers can occur in patients even in their 20s. He recommends that all women, especially those not yet of screening age, perform monthly breast self-examinations.Monthly breast self-exams havent been shown to improve outcomes for the population at large, but by knowing your body youll be able to alert your physician if you notice a change, Dr. Cairoli says. And if you do find something unusual, he adds, insist on a physical examination or screening even if your doctor tries to tell you youre too young for breast cancer.
Breast cancer symptoms to be alert for include:
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What Is The Staging For Breast Cancer
Stage I and II breast cancers
- Early-stage localized breast cancer
- Tumor is less than 2 cm in size and is node negative
- Stage II tumors have spread to the axillary lymph nodes and/or a tumor size larger than 2 cm but smaller than 5 cm
Stage III breast cancers
- Locally advanced breast cancer
- Large breast tumors
- Extensive axillary lymph node involvement , nodal involvement of both axillary and internal mammary nodes at diagnosis, or nodal involvement of the soft tissues above or below the collarbone
- A tumor is also considered to be stage III if it extends to underlying muscles of the chest wall or the overlying skin
- Inflammatory breast cancer is at least stage III even if it is small and does not involve lymph nodes
Stage IV breast cancer
- Metastatic breast cancer
- Tumors have spread to areas outside the breast and lymph nodes to the bones, lungs, liver, or other organs
- The primary tumor in the breast may be any size, and there can be any number of affected lymph nodes
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