title: Outcome differences between patients with node-negative breast cancer classified according to the st. Gallen risk categories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the 2007 St. Gallen risk categories with the outcomes of patients with node-negative breast cancer (NNBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1500 women with pathologically T1-T3 NNBC treated at the Clinic Hospital, Valencia University (Spain) from 1982 to 2000. Systemic adjuvant treatment was administered to 89.9% of the patients in the whole sample (37% received only hormonal therapy and 52.9% chemotherapy). The 2007 St. Gallen criteria were used to divide the whole sample into 1201 patients with intermediate risk (with > or = 1 of the following: pathologic tumor size > 2 cm, grade 2-3, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor absent, HER2/neu gene overexpressed or amplified, or age < 35 years) and 299 patients with low risk. Of the 1201 patients with intermediate risk, 56% received adjuvant chemotherapy. The intermediate- and low-risk groups were compared for relapse-free survival (RFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up of the entire sample was 61 months (range, 2-251 months). At 5 years, the overall RFS rate was 86%, and the BCSS rate was 95%. For low-risk patients, the RFS rate was 92%, and the BCSS rate was 98%. For intermediate-risk patients, the RFS rate was 84%, and the BCSS rate was 94%. There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of RFS (P = .006) and BCSS (P = .041) independent of received treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the St. Gallen risk categories resulted in significantly different outcomes for patients with NNBC. The St. Gallen classification might be a valuable clinical tool when assessing patients with NNBC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hematology, Clinic Hospital, Valencia, Spain. isabelblancas@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blancas
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bermejo
authors.forename: Bryan T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chirivella
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magro
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lluch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors