Side and survival in breast cancer

In recent years changes have occurred in the 5-year survival pattern and relative side distribution of operable breast carcinoma in this district. The 87 cases from 1970 showed the expected pattern; node-negative cases doing better than node-positive, irrespective of side. In 163 cases from the same population given similar treatment in 1975 those with left-sided disease fared better, irrespective of nodal status. No side differences were found at operation in the 1970 group, and little evidence of such changes in 1975, but clear differences were present in a third group of 63 patients from 1980. It is suggested that women in this district are becoming consistently more successful at finding their tumours, particularly on the left. It may thus be advisable to include side as a discriminant in clinical trials.