HOW FATAL IS BREAST-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF BREAST-CARCINOMA DEATHS IN TAYSIDE

Citation
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
Citations number
7
Categorie Soggetti
Oncology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00070920
Volume
67
Issue
5
Year of publication
1993
Pages
1086 - 1089
Database
ISI
SICI code
0007-0920(1993)67:5<1086:HFIB-A>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
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.