[Considerations on 988 breast cancers]

Therapy schedule improvement.

The study includes 988 patients (which 16 men) with breast cancer who underwent surgery between 1984-1998. Out of them 63.2% were in advanced stages. The patients were divided in 2 homogenous groups: trial A = 520 patients treated between 1984-1991 (in stade: I = 2, II = 240, III = 246, IV = 32) studied retrospectively, and trial B = 468 patients treated between 1992-1998 (in stade I = 3, II = 212, III = 235, IV = 18) studied prospectively. In trial B the complex therapy schedule was improved according to disease's stade, local breast aspect and patient's biological status, straining on neoadjuvant therapy. To the entire group 945 radical mastectomies (95.6%) were performed. Only 628 (63.5%) could be properly followed up.

Global 5 years survival rate was 72% (improved from 69% in trial A to 72% in trial B). The survival rate varied according the stage from 100% (stade I), 88% (stade II), to 22% (stade III) and 2% (stade IV). In the advanced states, the local recurrencies at 5 years were of 22% and the methastases of 17%.

The neoadjuvant therapy, selectively applied upon stade and patient improves the 5 year survival rate. Every patient with an advanced breast cancer can benefit of a complex, differentiated and well guided treatment. The adequate operation earn the important role in powering the neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies. Further results improvement requires restarting the collectivities and high risk persons screening.