Prognostic significance of lymph node status in stage III breast cancer

Case histories of 103 patients with locally advanced (stage III) breast cancer have been reviewed. Ninety of the patients were judged operable. The median follow-up time was 52 months. The 5-year survival rate for the whole group was 54%. The 5-year relapse-free survival rates for the pN0, pN1 and pN2-3 were 91, 50 and 19% respectively and the 5-year survival rates for the groups were 86, 53 and 30% respectively. These results underline the heterogeneity and the very different prognoses for the different subgroups in stage III breast cancer patients. A reevaluation of the staging system is therefore suggested.