Breast Cancer-Specific Mortality in Stage IV Patients with Small Tumors: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort
Thomas Lukas Schneider, Benjamin Elias Krüger
Abstract
A small primary tumor does not necessarily correspond to a favorable prognosis. We hypothesized that stage IV breast cancers with very small primary tumors accompanied by extensive lymph node metastases may reflect an aggressive tumor biology. Data spanning 2010 through 2015 were collected in a retrospective manner from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Eligible cases were limited to women with unilateral metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma classified as T1 or T2.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineOncologyRetrospective cohort studyInternal medicineStage (stratigraphy)Primary tumorCohortBreast cancerDuctal carcinomaDiseaseLymph nodeCarcinomaInvasive ductal carcinomaIncidence (geometry)GynecologyBreast carcinomaLymph node metastasisCancerDistant metastasisMetastasisCohort studySurvival analysisMultiple and Secondary Primary CancersBreast Cancer Treatment StudiesMale Breast Health Studies