The metastasis-free interval following curative treatment for breast cancer

Although much research has been done to isolate factors that have good prognostic value for cure in breast cancer, comparatively little attention has been paid to the large variation in the metastasis-free interval (MFI) in those who are not cured. In this paper we studied 247 patients who were given curative treatment for breast cancer, all of whom developed metastatic disease. The MFI varied from 2 months to 22 years and was found to depend on nodal status, initial T-stage, and possibly, location of the tumor within the breast; it did not depend on age of the patient or histologic appearance of the tumor. In addition, the time from first relapse to death did not correlate with the MFI. With one exception (brain) the initial site of distant metastasis was the same in late relapsers as in early relapsers.