Survival Of Breast Cancer Based On Stage
Statistics are given below for the overall survival rates for breast cancer based on certain stages of disease development.
I made this page many years ago, when there was nothing like this data available on the internet. Recently this page has been up-dated with the most recent statistics that we can find. Prognosis will be even better than the numbers here suggest because modern targeted treatments have improved a lot.
Breast cancer staging is determined by many factors and these include:-
- The presence and size of a tumor
- Whether the tumor is node negative or positive, this means whether lymph nodes are involved or not
- If the cancer has metastasized beyond the breast
If breast cancer is diagnosed and it is determined that there is no metastasis to the lymph nodes then the chances of survival are extremely good.
Once breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes the mode of treatment tends to shift to the chemotherapy medicines, and the odds of survival are somewhat lower.
An updated page on breast cancer survival rates. A new page on Breast cancer TNM stage.
Subcutaneous Herceptin Now An Option
Dr. Jackisch M.D. and colleagues from Germany reported the results of an open-label, multi-center, international clinical trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous and IV Herceptin in patients with HER2-positive ESBC.
A total of 596 individuals were enrolled in the clinical trial between October 19, 2009, and December 1, 2010 and have now been followed for 6 years.
Patients were given 8 cycles of standard chemotherapy and either a fixed-dose of subcutaneous or IV Herceptin for 10 after surgery to complete 1 year of anti-HER2 therapy.
The overall survival and progression free survival were essentially identical for IV and subcutaneous Herceptin. Moreover, the rates of significant cardiac and other serious side effects were similar.
The study suggests that subcutaneous Herceptin is as an effective alternative route of administration for patients with HER2-positive ESBC.16
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Outcomes According To Hr Status
When HR was positive, the HER2 group and HER2+ + T group had significantly lower LRR , DM and higher DFS at 5 years than that in the HER2+ T group. There were no significant differences in LRR , DM or DFS at 5 years between the HER2 group and HER2+ + T group.
Figure 3 KaplanMeier plots of locoregional recurrence , distant metastasis , disease-free survival , and overall survival of HR-positive patients and HR-negative patients grouped according to HER2 status and trastuzumab treatment. HR, hormonal receptor-negative HR+, hormonal receptor-positive HER2, HER2-negative HER2+ + T, HER2-positive with trastuzumab HER2+ T, HER2-positive without trastuzumab.
When HR was negative, there were no significant differences in LRR, DM, DFS or OS among HER, HER2+ + T, or HER2+ T groups .
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Her2 In Breast Cancer
HER2 is overexpressed in 1530% of invasive breast cancers, which has both prognostic and predictive implications . Breast cancers can have up to 2550 copies of the HER2 gene, and up to 40100-fold increase in HER2 protein resulting in 2 million receptors expressed at the tumor cell surface . Even estrogen, working via the nongenomic activity of estrogen receptor outside the nucleus, has been shown to activate HER2 signaling . An aberrant form of HER2 , lacking the extracellular domain, is found in some breast cancers. p95 is constitutively active and causes resistance to trastuzumab which requires the extracellular domain of HER2 for binding. For the same reason, p95 is not detected by antibodies that target the extracellular domain .
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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.
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Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Can Use Agents Which Specifically Target Her
Sometimes medics will also treat HER-2 positive tumors with targeting agents such as
Physicians will also sometimes employ hormonal therapy, such as anthracylines, and taxanes, to minimize the growth effect of HER-2 positive breast cancers.
Since the rate of local recurrence is typically quite high with HER-2 postive tumors, radiation therapy is sometimes useful in addition to trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and generally with good effect.
Blocking Her2 Slows Or Stops Some Types Of Breast Cancer
NCI-funded researcher Dennis Slamon, M.D., was among the many scientists searching for genes that can lead to cancer. In 1987, he and his colleagues discovered that the growth factor receptor gene HER2, which produces HER2 proteins, might be a good candidate.
At the same time, a team of NCI researchers led by Stuart Aaronson, M.D., were among the first to show that the HER2 protein could cause normal cells to grow uncontrollably like aggressive cancer cells.
Dr. Slamons team found that the HER2 protein is present at high levels in about 30 percent of breast cancers. They also discovered that high levels of HER2 are linked to a greater likelihood of metastasis and relapse and an overall decrease in patient survival. The group concluded that HER2 might play a role in the development and growth of breast cancer.
NCI-funded researcher Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., discovered the genetic link between HER2 and breast cancer.
This led researchers to a groundbreaking hypothesis: If HER2 could be blocked, the growth of HER2-positive breast cancer might be slowed.
One way to block the action of a protein is to use laboratory-made monoclonal antibodies that attach to a specific protein and disrupt its function. With NCI support, Dr. Slamon and colleagues from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center had a breakthrough. They showed that an antibody specific to HER2 could slow the growth of metastatic breast cancer cells and other types of cancer in a laboratory dish.
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Novel Antibody Drug Conjugates
Following the success and FDA approval of two Antibody Drug Conjugates , there are multiple other agents currently in clinical trials. Like DS-8201, these newer ADCs have a cleavable linker that accounts for what is called the bystander effect. Bystander effect is responsible for the death of antigen-negative cells , hence it is important in both the efficacy and safety of the drug. Here we discuss a few ADCs with published clinical trial results.
These second-generation ADCs are thought to overcome the resistance of HER2+ cells to T-DM1. One of the ADCs currently in clinical trial, SYD985 , was shown to be effective in T-DM1-resistant patient-derived tumor models . Results of the dose-escalation/dose-expansion study with this agent demonstrated clinical activity in heavily pre-treated HER2+ patients, with a partial response of 33% and a median PFS of 7.6 months . Currently, the Phase III randomized TULIP trial is evaluating the drug SYD985 against other standard of care options for previously treated HER2+ breast cancer patients.
Another ADC currently in Phase III trial is BAT8001 , which uses a novel non-cleavable linker between trastuzumab and the maytansine payload. A phase I dose-escalation study revealed the drug to be safe, and it also showed efficacy in heavily pre-treated HER2+ patients. A randomized multi-center Phase III trial is ongoing in China .
Her2+ Status Cancer Stage And Survival
The importance of HER2 status for survival will depend on how far the cancer has spread. If itâs only in the breast, then it wonât make much difference. Most women in the early stage of the disease do well because a surgeon can remove the tumor.
Itâs when a breast tumor grows and spreads to lymph nodes or farther away in the body that HER2 status becomes more important for treatment and survival. Thatâs because there are now drugs that target HER2, but these work only for cancers that are HER2+. A common drug for HER2+ breast cancer is trastuzumab , but there are others. Because there are more treatments, women with more advanced HER2+ breast cancers today will on average have better survival rates than those with more advanced HER2- breast cancers.
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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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How Is Her2 Cancer Diagnosed
Samples of breast tissue are removed during a biopsy or surgery and tested in the laboratory to look for presence of HER2 proteins. Commonly used tests to diagnose HER2 positivity include:
- Immunohistochemistry test: IHC test uses a chemical dye that stains HER2 protein and reveals its presence. The HER2 protein levels are scored from zero to three. Zero and one are considered HER2-negative, two is inconclusive and three is positive.
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization test: FISH test uses fluorescent pieces of DNA that attach to the HER2 gene and show if there are extra copies. FISH tests are usually performed if the IHC result is inconclusive, because they are more expensive and results take longer.
- Inform Dual ISH test: Inform Dual ISH test uses a stain that makes the HER2 protein change color.
The IHC tests are also used to find if the cancer cells have estrogen receptors and/or progesterone receptors . A positive result indicates that the cancer grows in response to these two female hormones.
Breast cancers are categorized into the following groups based on the HER2 and hormone receptor status:
- Luminal A: ER- and PR-positive, and HER2-negative breast cancer
- Luminal B: ER-positive, PR-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer
- HER2-positive: HR-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer
- Triple positive: ER-, PR- and HER2-positive breast cancer
- Triple negative : HR- and HER2-negative breast cancer
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Risk Factors For Overall Recurrence
There are several risk factors that raise the risk of recurrence overall . These include:
- Tumor size: Larger tumors are more likely to recur than smaller ones both early and late.
- Positive lymph nodes: Tumors that have spread to lymph nodes are more likely to recur at any time than those that have not.
- Age at diagnosis: Breast cancer recurrence is more common in younger people.
- Treatments received and response to treatments: Both chemotherapy and hormonal therapy reduce the risk of recurrence in the first five years.
- Tumor grade: More aggressive tumors are more likely to recur than less aggressive tumors , especially in the first five years
There are also factors that do not appear to affect the risk of recurrence. Recurrence rates are the same for women who have a mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation and are also the same for women who have a single vs. double mastectomy.
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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Breast Cancer : Much Progress But Work Remains
Mention that statistic, and many women in the U.S. immediately know it refers to their lifetime risk of getting breast cancer.
Although the statistic may stir up anxiety, those diagnosed with breast cancer today have a more positive prognosis than ever, experts say. Thats due to better understanding of the disease, wider choices of treatments, and more individualized treatment designed to reduce the risk of recurrence and lessen side effects.
While breast cancer incidence has risen by 0.5% per year in recent years, and it remains the second leading cause of cancer death in women, outpaced only by lung cancer, there are now more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
If the disease is caught early, women with breast cancer have a survival rate of an astounding 99%, though that may dip to 28% if the cancer has spread.
But despite the progress, much work remains. Read on to see how far weve come in the fight against breast cancer and what experts say needs to happen next.
Breast Cancer: Not a Single Disease
Breast cancer is increasingly viewed as multiple different diseases, says Harold J. Burstein, MD, a breast oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
That discovery, in turn, has helped to individualize treatment and predict exactly how much treatment is needed for a specific patient, he and other experts say.
Molecular Diagnostics and ER-Positive Cancers
New Hope for HER2-Positive Cancers
Expanded Genetic Testing
Trastuzumab Provides A Comparable Prognosis In Patients With Her2
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Background and Purpose: We investigated the locoregional effect of trastuzumab, and determined whether patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer treated with trastuzumab could achieve comparable efficacy to that of patients with HER2-negative BC.
Materials and Methods: This was post hoc analyses of data of 793 BC patients from a randomized controlled trial comparing post-mastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy with conventional fractionated radiotherapy. Survival rates were analyzed by the KaplanMeier method and compared by the log-rank test.
Results: Patients were classified into three groups: HER2-negative , HER2-positve with trastuzumab , and HER2-positive without trastuzumab . The HER2+ + T group had significantly lower locoregional recurrence , distant metastasis and higher disease-free survival at 5 years than that of the HER2+ T group . The HER2 group had significantly lower LRR , DM and higher DFS at 5 years than that of the HER2+ T group . The difference in LRR, DM and DFS at 5 years was not significant between the HER2+ + T group and HER2 group . Different annual LRR patterns was found among groups according to HR status.
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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.
Survival Rates And Statistics
A relative survival rate helps give an idea of how long a person with a particular condition will live after receiving a diagnosis compared with those without the condition.
For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%, it means that a person with the condition is 70% as likely to live for 5 years as someone without the condition.
It is important to remember that these figures are estimates. A person can talk with a doctor about how their condition is likely to affect them.
Some factors affecting a personâs survival rate with breast cancer include:
- individual factors, such as the personâs age and overall health
- the stage of the cancer at diagnosis
- the treatment the person receives
HER2-positive cancers are than HER2-negative cancers. With treatment, however, the chances of survival are high, especially with an early diagnosis. In some cases, they may be higher than for HER2-negative breast cancer due to effective targeted treatment.
According to the , the likelihood of living for another 5 years with HER2-positive cancer, compared with a person who does not have breast cancer, is as follows. These statistics are based on figures for the years 2011â2017.
| Stage |
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