title: Validation of a Web-based prognostic system for breast cancer.
abstract: A website has been published which allows the user to enter information on prognostic factors for a patient with breast cancer, and instantly obtain a survival curve based on outcome data of prior cases with a matching prognostic factor profile. The source for the survival data is a Finnish nationwide series (the FinProg series) of 2,842 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991-2. The purpose of this study was to compare survival estimates based on the FinProg database, with estimates for breast cancer patients from the US, obtained from the SEER public-use database and the same time-period. Results show that a reasonable level of agreement between estimates can be reached, by the use of large, unselected databases, and that significantly different estimates were obtained in only 2 of 19 analyzed prognostic profiles. The current system could be used to share important knowledge on outcome between researchers and clinicians at different institutions, and be used in the decision-making process concerning treatment of patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, HUCH Clinical Research Institute, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 105, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland. johan.lundin@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joensuu
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011379:Prognosis; D018426:SEER Program; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology