Treatment of primary breast cancer at the surgical unit of the Charité 1984-1998

TY - JOUR

T1 - Treatment of primary breast cancer at the surgical unit of the Charité 1984-1998

AU - Winzer, Klaus-Jürgen

AU - Buchholz, Anika

AU - Guski, Hans

AU - Frohberg, Hans-Dieter

AU - Diekmann, Felix

AU - Possinger, Kurt

AU - Sauerbrei, Willi

N1 - © 2013 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - BACKGROUND: We have analyzed the patient population of one clinic (Charité) over a period of 15 years. Besides the changes in the technical facilities and therapeutical guidelines during these years, this period also reflects the changes in the health system attributable to the reunification of East and West Germany. Until now only few analyses for breast cancer patients from the German speaking area have been reported.PATIENTS AND METHODS: All 2,062 patients undergoing surgical treatment for breast cancer between 1984 and 1998 were documented and followed up until 2007. The analysis included 1,560 patients with a primary breast cancer who fulfilled certain inclusion criteria. The treatment strategies applied to this population are presented in 3 time periods (1984-1990, 1991-1993, and 1994-1998). The effects of prognostic factors on overall survival were investigated using univariate analyses.RESULTS: The percentage of pT1 tumors changed from 50.7% in the first period to 63.1% in the third period. The percentage of node-negative patients hardly changed with time (on average 61.6%). However, the percentage of patients with less than 10 assessed nodes decreased from 48.4% to 6.7% and 2.5% for the 3 periods, respectively. Therapeutic strategies changed drastically. Survival rate increased substantially, most likely due to improved therapeutic strategies, but also for other reasons not considered in the analysis.

AB - BACKGROUND: We have analyzed the patient population of one clinic (Charité) over a period of 15 years. Besides the changes in the technical facilities and therapeutical guidelines during these years, this period also reflects the changes in the health system attributable to the reunification of East and West Germany. Until now only few analyses for breast cancer patients from the German speaking area have been reported.PATIENTS AND METHODS: All 2,062 patients undergoing surgical treatment for breast cancer between 1984 and 1998 were documented and followed up until 2007. The analysis included 1,560 patients with a primary breast cancer who fulfilled certain inclusion criteria. The treatment strategies applied to this population are presented in 3 time periods (1984-1990, 1991-1993, and 1994-1998). The effects of prognostic factors on overall survival were investigated using univariate analyses.RESULTS: The percentage of pT1 tumors changed from 50.7% in the first period to 63.1% in the third period. The percentage of node-negative patients hardly changed with time (on average 61.6%). However, the percentage of patients with less than 10 assessed nodes decreased from 48.4% to 6.7% and 2.5% for the 3 periods, respectively. Therapeutic strategies changed drastically. Survival rate increased substantially, most likely due to improved therapeutic strategies, but also for other reasons not considered in the analysis.

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Aged, 80 and over

KW - Breast Neoplasms

KW - Cancer Care Facilities

KW - Female

KW - Germany

KW - History, 20th Century

KW - Humans

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Mastectomy

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Prevalence

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Survival Rate

KW - Treatment Outcome

U2 - 10.1159/000356805

DO - 10.1159/000356805

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 24356564

VL - 36

SP - 727

EP - 736

JO - ONKOLOGIE

JF - ONKOLOGIE

SN - 0378-584X

IS - 12

ER -