title: Improvement in the prognosis of Japanese breast cancer patients from 1946 to 2001--an institutional review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer has emerged as one of the most frequent malignancies among Japanese women; however, the long-term survival of Japanese breast cancer patients is uncertain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the chronological changes in the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment procedures and the long-term prognosis of 15 416 Japanese women with 16 217 primary breast cancers treated in the Cancer Institute Hospital in Tokyo between 1946 and 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our analysis revealed a chronological increase in the mean patient age, postmenopausal patients and non-invasive carcinomas. Operative procedures became less extensive, with approximately 45% of breast cancer patients in 2000-2001 receiving breast-conserving treatment. Radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes decreased, while postoperative chemotherapy and hormonal treatments have become more frequent. The survival rate has improved steadily during the past 5 decades. The 10-year crude overall survival rate improved from 61% before 1960 to 83% in the 1990s.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survival rate of Japanese women with breast cancer has dramatically improved during the past 5 decades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Kami-Ikebukuro 1-37-1, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8455, Japan. myoshimoto@jfcr.or.jp
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morota
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masujiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasumi
authors.forename: Syunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Goi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal