title: Longitudinal Gompertzian analysis of breast cancer mortality in the U.S., 1962-1987: demonstration of a disorder displaying complex deterministic mortality dynamics.
abstract: Age-adjusted mortality rates for breast cancer (BC) in the United States from 1962 to 1987 were subjected to longitudinal Gompertzian analysis. Age-adjusted BC mortality rate distributions for women display two distinct Gompertzian slopes. Between age 15 and 40 years, age-adjusted BC mortality rate distributions intercepted at age 33.5 years and mortality rate (per 100,000) 5.83. Between age 50 and 85 years, age-adjusted BC mortality rate distributions intercepted at age 60.4 years and mortality rate 77.0. These two distinct Gompertzian regions correspond to the clinical and biological classification of BC into pre- and post-menopausal varieties. The observation that postmenopausal BC increases in environments conducive to survival and that premenopausal BC increases in environments that are less favorable becomes understandable when BC mortality dynamics are viewed from a competitive and deterministic perspective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Riggs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001699:Biometry; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology