Breast Cancer
The Cancer Monthly database currently has the clinical results (survival, side effects, and more) for 50 recent breast cancer therapies including hormone therapy, biological therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy and chemotherapy.
Introduction
Breast cancer is the malignant proliferation of epithelial cells that line the ducts or lobules of the breast. In 2004 there were about 216,000 cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,000 breast cancer deaths in the United States.
Breast cancer is a hormone-dependent disease. For example, women without functioning ovaries and who never received estrogen replacement do not develop breast cancer.
Nearly half of all patients who are treated for apparently localized breast cancer develop metastatic disease. And half of all initial cancer recurrences occur more than 5 years after initial therapy. Although a very small number of these patients can enjoy long remissions when treated with combinations of systemic and local therapy, most eventually succumb to their cancer.
Staging and Prognosis
The prognosis for breast cancer generally depends on its stage and there are typically five stages (0 to 5) with sub-stages:
| Stage | TNM | Description | 5-year Survival |
| 0 | Tis N0 M0 | Carcinoma in situ. No tumor is regional lymph nodes, No distant metastases | 99% |
| I | T1 N0 M0 | Tumor is less than or equal to 2 centimeters, No tumor is regional lymph nodes, No distant metastases | 92% |
| IIA | T0 N1 M0 T1 N1 M0 T2 N0 M0 |