CLASSICAL PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR SURVIVAL AND LOCO-REGIONAL CONTROL IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS TREATED WITH RADICAL-MASTECTOMY ALONE

A retrospective analysis of clinical and pathological prognostic facto rs was performed in 1 068 breast cancer patients treated with radical mastectomy alone in 1952-1980. Three endpoints were considered: 10-yea r survival, 10-year disease-free survival and 10-year loco-regional re lapse-free survival. Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirm ed the prognostic significance of tumour size, histological type and g rade (Bloom classification) and involvement of axillary nodes for all three endpoints. Additionally, young age appeared to be a significant risk factor for loco-regional disease-free survival. Prognostic subgro ups were defined by the use of 3 main indicators. In node negative pat ients with T1 tumours the prognosis seemed to be good regardless of hi stological grade (80-90% 10-year disease-free survival), in T2 tumours the survival was significantly dependent on histological type and gra de. In node positive patients increasing number of involved nodes and higher histological grade had an independent adverse effect on all thr ee endpoints. The study demonstrates that classical, commonly availabl e prognostic factors clearly distinguish subgroups with different prog nosis, which may be helpful when deciding on the use of adjuvant local and/or systemic therapies.