Dm. Parham et al., HOW FATAL IS BREAST-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF BREAST-CARCINOMA DEATHS IN TAYSIDE, British Journal of Cancer, 67(5), 1993, pp. 1086-1089
A prospective autopsy study of deaths of women who had been diagnosed
previously as having cancer of the breast was performed between Octobe
r 1986 and December 1990. During the study period 28 deaths occurred a
nd nine of these (32%) were attributable directly to breast cancer; a
figure similar to that found in our earlier retrospective study. In th
is study the autopsy findings in both the breast cancer and non-breast
cancer deaths were recorded and five cases underwent post-mortem radi
ological skeletal survey to detect metastases. The findings confirm th
e role of the post mortem in modem medicine as a method of auditing cl
inical practice. Of particular importance, is the finding that the cli
nical presumption of disseminated breast cancer as a cause of 'termina
l' illness in some patients may be misleading and dangerous, possibly
denying some patients treatment of potentially remedial conditions by
the institution of inappropriate terminal care.