title: Treatment of primary breast cancer at the surgical unit of the Charité 1984-1998.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have analyzed the patient population of one clinic (Charité) over a period of 15 years. Besides the changes in the technical facilities and therapeutical guidelines during these years, this period also reflects the changes in the health system attributable to the reunification of East and West Germany. Until now only few analyses for breast cancer patients from the German speaking area have been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 2,062 patients undergoing surgical treatment for breast cancer between 1984 and 1998 were documented and followed up until 2007. The analysis included 1,560 patients with a primary breast cancer who fulfilled certain inclusion criteria. The treatment strategies applied to this population are presented in 3 time periods (1984-1990, 1991-1993, and 1994-1998). The effects of prognostic factors on overall survival were investigated using univariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of pT1 tumors changed from 50.7% in the first period to 63.1% in the third period. The percentage of node-negative patients hardly changed with time (on average 61.6%). However, the percentage of patients with less than 10 assessed nodes decreased from 48.4% to 6.7% and 2.5% for the 3 periods, respectively. Therapeutic strategies changed drastically. Survival rate increased substantially, most likely due to improved therapeutic strategies, but also for other reasons not considered in the analysis.
authors.affiliation: Brustzentrum Charité, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus-Jürgen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Winzer
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guski
authors.forename: Hans-Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Frohberg
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diekmann
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Possinger
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sauerbrei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000266:history / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000266:history / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000266:history / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome