Breast cancer in Queenland fifteen years after treatment

The incidence of carcinoma of the breast in this Australian series is as high as in most countries of the world, and remains high with increasing age. The mortality rate from cancer is highest in the first three years after treatment of the primary disease, but, even after 10 years, deaths from cancer are nearly as frequent as those from intercurrent disease. At least 25% of patients had advanced disease at initial presentation. A 25% 15-year survival rate is reported in a series of mixed stage at the time of initial treatment, which was by simple mastectomy and radiotherapy in 75% of cases. Large tumours without evidence of axillary metastasis T3N0M0) often had a surprisingly good prognosis. The site of first reappearance of the tumour was local in 30-6% of cases, systemic in 38-4% of cases, and in the opposite breast in 7-6% of cases. It was not possible to classify the remaining 23-4% either because of incomplete information or, more usually, because of synchronous development of local and systemic recurrence. Of patients who developed local recurrence in this group, 83% showed generalized metastatic disease within 10 years of the appearance of the recurrent disease.