Improvements in Breast Cancer Survival

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From a retrospective study MDAnderson. Amazing 10 year survival improvements for those diagnosed with regional (lymph node/skin) or distant spread.

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/new_research/20100930.jsp

The retrospective review included all 12,809 patients diagnosed and seen for their initial breast cancer therapy at MD Anderson between 1944 and 2004.

For local disease, the number of women alive at 10 years rose from 55.0% in the first decade of the study period when radiation therapy was the mainstay of treatment to 86.1% by 1995-2004 (P<0.0001 for trend).

For regional disease with skin or lymph node involvement, 10-year survival improved from a dismal 16.2% to 74.1% over the same period (P<0.0001 for trend).

"This is a dramatic shift because of the combined modality approach" -- often utilizing systemic therapy before or after surgery, Buzdar told reporters. "A dramatic shift in natural history is evident."

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