title: Prognostic factors in 1,038 women with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains palliative. Patients with MBC represent a heterogeneous group whose prognosis and outcome may be dependent on host factors. The purpose of the present study was dual: first, to draw up a list of factors easily available in everyday clinical practice requiring no sophisticated or costly methods and second, to provide results from a large cohort of women who underwent diagnostic and treatment at a single institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1975 to 2005, a total of 1,038 women with MBC during their follow-up were included in this retrospective analysis. Patients were subsequently assigned to five groups according to the period of metastatic diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is shown that age at initial diagnosis, hormonal receptor status and site of metastasis are the most relevant prognostic factors for predicting survival from the time of metastastic occurrence. It is also shown that a metastasis-free interval is an easily and immediately available multifactorial prognostic index reflecting the multiparametric variability of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These fundamental observations may assist physicians in evaluating the survival potential of patients and in directing them toward the appropriate therapeutic decision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Largillier
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doyen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barriere
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Courdi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hannoun-Levi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ettore
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Birtwisle-Peyrottes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balu-Maestro
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Marcy
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Raoust
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lallement
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chamorey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone