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Diverse prognosis in metastatic breast cancer: Who should be offered alternative initial therapies?

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Abstract

In an attempt to clarify appropriate treatment options for women with stage IV breast cancer, we studied the survival experience of a large dataset of patients treated on Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) protocols. The study, restricted to women who had had no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease, demonstrated a surprisingly poor prognosis, with an estimated median survival of 1.6 years and only 26% alive at 3 years. Analysis of prognostic factors permitted the identification of subsets with even shorter survival, such as women with estrogen receptor negative tumor in more than one metastatic site and prior adjuvant chemotherapy. We feel that an evaluation of intensive investigational treatment approaches, such as trials using autologous bone marrow transplantation, is justified for most stage IV breast cancer patients, in view of their poor prognosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Divisions of Biostatistics and Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA

    Rosemarie Mick, Colin B. Begg, Karen H. Antman, Ann H. Korzun & Emil Frei III

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Rosemarie Mick, Colin B. Begg, Karen H. Antman, Ann H. Korzun & Emil Frei III

Authors
  1. Rosemarie Mick
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  2. Colin B. Begg
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  3. Karen H. Antman
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  4. Ann H. Korzun
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  5. Emil Frei III
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Additional information

Supported by National Cancer Institute Grants: PO1-CA-38493, U10-CA-31946, U10-CA-33601, and an award from the Mathers Foundation

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Mick, R., Begg, C.B., Antman, K.H. et al. Diverse prognosis in metastatic breast cancer: Who should be offered alternative initial therapies?. Breast Cancer Res Tr 13, 33–38 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806548

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