title: [A retrospective analysis of clinic-pathological characteristics and prognostic factor for 137 cases of breast cancer brain metastasis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in breast cancer with brain metastasis (BCBM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 137 BCBM from June 2002 to June 2008 was reviewed and analyzed. Their molecular subtypes were categorized based on detection of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression. The focal area included 35 cases of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), 38 cases of HR (ER and PR) (-)/HER-2(+), 40 cases of HR(+)/HER-2(-), 24 cases of HR(+)/HER-2(+). The clinical characteristics and the outcome in patients with influence were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 137 BCBM, the median overal survival after brain metastasis was 6.5 month. The median survivals of TNBC, HR(-)/HER-2(+), HR(+)/HER-2(-) and HR(+)/HER-2(+) were 5.0, 5.5, 10.0 and 9.5 months, respectively. The median survivals after brain metastasis of the breast cancer patients who received the combination therapy of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and neurosurgery and/or stereotactic radiosurgery, received WBRT but not combination therapy and didn't receive WBRT were 15.0, 9.5 and 4.0 months, respectively. In univariate survival analysis, substyle, number of brain metastasis, brain metastasis as initial recurrence or not, brain-only metastases or not, the combination therapy status after brain metastasis were obviously correlated with the prognosis (χ(2) = 6.891 to 29.414, P < 0.05). Substyle (RR = 1.234, 95%CI: 1.057 to 1.440) and the combination therapy status after brain metastasis (RR = 1.838, 95%CI: 1.389 to 2.431) were independent prognostic factor in multivariable analysis (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNBC confers a high risk of death after brain metastases. Systemic treatment via combined modalities are helpful for breast cancer patients, even after the detection of brain metastases.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Breast Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China.
authors.forename: Yong-chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xin-rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Yun-xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya-yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mei-xuan
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy