AGE AND STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS INFLUENCE THE DISEASE STATUS AT DEATH IN NONMETASTATIC BREAST-CANCER

The effects of age and stage on disease status at time of death (outco me), and on overall survival time were investigated in 491 patients wh o presented with either early or locally advanced non-metastatic breas t cancer and for whom information at death was complete, Stage and age had a significant influence on death without metastatic disease (cure d state). In each stage category elderly patients (> 70 years) succumb ed more often in a cured state. They developed significantly fewer sys temic metastases in both stage categories. Overall survival was signif icantly shorter for elderly patients in the early stage category only. At 3, 5 and 10-year intervals during follow-up, significantly more el derly patients died without the presence of systemic metastatic diseas e in both stage categories. Concomitant diseases therefore caused deat hs in a substantial number of elderly patients and prevented them from developing systemic metastases. This finding explains the higher 'cur e' rates for elderly patients in both stage categories. A shorter over all survival period for elderly patients in the early stage category m ost probably contributed to their higher 'cure' rates.