PROGNOSTIC VARIABLES IN CREEK PATIENTS WITH STAGE-II BREAST-CANCER - A HELLENIC COOPERATIVE ONCOLOGY GROUP-STUDY

The independent effects of several patient, tumor and treatment-relate d prognostic factors on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall surviv al (OS) were assessed by Cox multivariate regression analysis in 988 G reek patients with stage II breast cancer. At a median follow-up time of 83 (range 3.3-131+) months and after the evaluation of all patients together; the number of positive axillary nodes (p<0.0001), tumor siz e (p = 0.0024) and tumor grade (p=0.0008) were identified as significa nt prognostic factors for RFS. Also, the number of positive nodes (p<0 .0001), tumor size (p=0.0002) and ER status (p=0.0001) were found to b e significant for OS. These short-term prognostic variables are simila r to those reported for this group of patients in other European count ries and in the USA.