ABSTRACT

The incidence of stage 1 breast cancer has been increasing with screening mammography and awareness of breast cancer. However, some patients with early stage breast cancer have been died due to the recurrence of disease. The aim of this study was to examine the factors effecting the mortality in patients with stage 1 breast cancer.

250 stage 1 breast cancer patients treated and followed at Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of General Surgery, The Breast Unit between January 1995 and December 2008 were eligible and included in this study. Demographic and pathological data were collected retrospectively. Twenty-five patients of them had died during the follow up period due to tumor recurrence and the factors affecting the mortality in stage 1 breast cancer were examined.

The median age of pateints was 53 (27–81) years, median follow up time was 35 months (8-158), 5 year survival was 87,1%. Twenty-five patients had died during follow up period [Median follow up time was 60 months (24– 150)]. The relation between mortality and age, tumor size, histopathology, tumor localisation, lymphovascular invasion, estrogen, progesterone and Her 2 receptor status and histologic grade was examined. Young age (<35 years old, p=0.026), tumor size more than 15 mm (p=0.002) and progesterone receptor negativity (p=0.017) were the only factors affecting the mortality.

This study showed that tumor size, being under age of 35 years, progesterone receptor negativity and progesteron reseptor negativity with estrogen reseptor positivity were the factors related with the stage 1 breast cancer mortality.