title: CAUSES OF DEATH IN PATIENTS WITH STAGE 0-II BREAST CANCER.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the main causes of death in patients with stage 0-II breast cancer who undergo breast conserving surgery or radical mastectomy, and to establish the role of imaging surveillance protocols following breast cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective medical record review between January 2005 and December 2012, when breast cancer was the primary cause of death for 113 inpatients. All patients were admitted to the Oncology Clinic of the Iasi Regional Cancer Institute (IRCI), Romania. Patients were stratified by clinical stage 0, I and II, of which 33 (29.2%) patients were managed by breast conservation therapy and 80 (70.8%) underwent radical mastectomy. From the patient medical records all diagnostic imaging studies performed (ultrasound, radiography and computed tomography) were identified and analyzed according to a standard protocol for imaging the postoperative breast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bone, liver, lung, lymph nodes and local-regional recurrence were the most common sites for metastasis, while the most frequent cause of death were metastases to the liver, pleura, lung and brain. The time interval between recurrence and death ranged from 0-24 years among patients with one type of metastasis, and decreased to 0-3 years since the last recurrence for patients with multiple metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current imaging protocol for monitoring the postoperative breast could be optimized to improve the prognosis and quality of life in patients with stage 0-II breast cancer.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ursaru
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naum
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scripcariu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Negru
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D015409:Mastectomy, Radical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate