Survival of Danish cancer patients 1943-1987. Breast

Survival from breast cancer was examined in approximately 76,000 women and 600 men diagnosed in Denmark between 1943 and 1987. About 5% of patients mainly known from death certificates only were excluded from the analysis. Overall, survival improved with time, the relative five-year survival rates increasing from 47 to 69% in women and from 40 to 58% in men. Women had significantly better survival than men. Age at diagnosis was a prognostic factor in women as well as in men, the survival rates decreasing with increasing age at diagnosis. This age effect persisted after stratification for extent of disease. Although it was not demonstrated that the proportion of early-stage breast cancers increased with time, the improvement in survival may be related to increased diagnostic activity. The introduction of adjuvant breast cancer therapy has also improved survival, particularly among women aged less than 45.