THE NATIONAL-CANCER-DATA-BASE REPORT ON BREAST-CARCINOMA CHARACTERISTICS AND OUTCOME IN RELATION TO AGE

BACKGROUND. Previous data from the National Cancer Data Base have exam ined time trends in stage of disease, treatment patterns, and survival for selected cancers. The most current (1993) data for breast carcino ma are described here. METHODS. Five Calls for Data have yielded a tot al of 508,724 breast cancer cases diagnosed from 1985 to 1993, from ho spital cancer registries throughout the U.S. RESULTS. Women younger th an age 35 had a lower rate of ductal carcinoma in situ, higher grade p rimary tumors, more advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer stage disease, and poorer 5-year relative survival than older premenopausal women. African American women were more likely to have advanced diseas e than non-Hispanic whites in all three age groups analyzed. Improved time trends of early detection of breast carcinoma and use of breast c onservation treatment are reported. The overall prognosis for breast c arcinoma remains relatively good for all age groups when compared with other cancers. CONCLUSIONS. These data are consistent with the hypoth esis that younger women are at increased risk for biologically more ag gressive breast carcinoma. (C) 1996 American Cancer Society.