title: Disease-free survival in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy in the world and the one with highest incidence in the female population; it is also a major cause of death from cancer among women.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years and prognostic factors in women with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer treated at a referral center for cancer care located in a medium-sized city in the Southeast of Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with the disease between 2003 and 2005 and identified through the institution's cancer hospital records were analyzed. The follow-up of cases was carried out through hospital records, and complemented by search in the database of the Mortality Information System (SIM) as well as telephone contact. The variables analyzed were distributed in the following blocks: socio-demographic data, tumor-related characteristics, and treatment-related characteristics. Survival functions were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the prognostic factors were analyzed based on Cox proportional hazard model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed a DFS at 5 years of 72% (95CI 67.6-75.9). The main variables independently associated with DFS were lymph node involvement, use of hormone therapy, and education level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reinforces the importance of early diagnosis for DFS, pointing to the role of social aspects in this regard. The relevance of this research in the country is also highlighted, given the scarcity of studies on DFS in the Brazilian population.
authors.affiliation: MSc in Collective Health from Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) - Clinical Oncologist, Instituto Oncológico/Hospital 9 de Julho, Juiz de Fora. Coordinator of the Medical Oncology Residency Program at Instituto Oncológico de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberta Wolp
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: PhD in Collective Health from Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) - Professor of the Department of Collective Health, Faculdade de Medicina, UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maximiliano Ribeiro
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: PhD in Collective Health from UFJF - MD, Oncologist, and Adjunct Professor of Medical Oncology, Universidade Presidente Antonio Carlos, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jane Rocha Duarte
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cintra
authors.affiliation: MSc in Collective Health from UFJF - Physiotherapist and Grant holder for technical support to research in the Collective Health Graduate Program (PPGSC) and the Center for Advisement, Training and Studies in Health (NATES) of UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vívian Assis
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Fayer
authors.affiliation: PhD in Collective Health from UERJ - Coordinator of the Collective Health Graduate Program, Adjunct Coordinator of the NATES/UFJF and Editor-in-chief of the APS Journal, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Bustamante
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors