Correlation of breast cancer metastases in chest X-rays to symptoms and survival.
The sizes and locations of pulmonary and pleural metastases in chest X-rays of 50 symptomatic and 65 asymptomatic breast cancer patients were compared and correlated to survival. The diameters of the metastases were about the same in both groups as also their distribution. The incidence of pleural fluid was higher in symptomatic patients. The survival curve of symptomatic patients did not deviate from that of the asymptomatic ones. Symptoms in pulmonary metastatic disease do not mean rapid progress of the disease but may be beneficial in that they cause the patient to visit the oncologist early. The cost-effectiveness of chest X-rays in the follow-up is questionable.
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies