title: Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors for HER2-positive patients with metastatic breast cancer in southern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to analyze clinicopathologic characteristics and survival and to identify prognostic factors for Chinese patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 243 patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, treated during the period 2002 to 2009, were followed up from initial disease diagnosis to death or date of last follow-up (December 2011). Cumulative survival curves were created using Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. Prognostic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow-up, 205 patients died, with a median OS of 27 months (95% CI: 23.5, 30.5 months), and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 84.4%, 38.6%, and 18.1%, respectively. The median OS of HR+ patients was significantly higher than that of HR- patients (p < 0.001). Surgery (hazard ratio = 0.60, p = 0.002), endocrine therapy (hazard ratio = 0.53, p < 0.01), and anti-HER2 therapy (hazard ratio = 0.63, p = 0.003) were favorable independent prognostic factors for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that surgical intervention, endocrine therapy, and anti-HER2 therapy were good for these HER2 positive patients with metastatic breast cancer, but ECOG performance status < 1 and metastasis to brain were unfavorable independent prognostic factors. HR status was not an independent prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Rou-Jun
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yin-Duo
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Geng
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: anti-HER2 therapy; brain metastasis; endocrine therapy; hormone receptor status; surgery