We found that prognosis has improved substantially during the past 20 years.
Why Have Survival Rates Improved Over Time?
Padhi said that in the U.K. study, researchers were looking at a time period where therapies improved significantly.
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What changed was theanti-estrogen therapies.
They were approved around 1999 or 2000, he said.
When that medication came, it reduced recurrence rates and so that translated into improved survival rates.
Complete remission, on the other hand, refers to when theres no detectable cancer in the body.
Our study showed that prognosis varies substantially according to patient and tumor factors, Taylor and Dodwell said.
Those with worse prognosis are large high-grade cancers which have spread to the lymph nodes.
Hormone positive [breast cancers] have the best survival [rate] out there, he said.
Race and ethnicity can play a role, too.
Some genes can mutate and increase the risk of breast cancer, includingBRCA1 and BRCA2.
Early detection is key to improved survival rates, Padhi said.
And were definitely detecting them sooner.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for breast cancer.
2023;381:e074684.
doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074684
City of Hope.Whats the difference?
Cancer remission, cure and no evidence of disease.
National Cancer Institute.Understanding cancer prognosis.
