Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer should be followed up for years after diagnosis of operable cancer in order to prevent recurrence, according to results from a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1
Study investigators sought to identify patient populations that are still at risk for recurrence at 24 years median follow-up. A total of 4105 patients were studied.
Results showed that the highest recurrence occurred during the 5 years after diagnosis, with the peak (15.2%) occurring between the first and second year. During the first 5 years, those with ER-positive disease had a lower annualized hazard than those with ER-negative disease (9.9% vs 11.5%; P = .01).
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After 5 years, however, those with ER-positive disease experienced higher hazards (5 to 10 years: 5.4% vs 3.3%; 10 to 15 years: 2.9% vs 1.3%; 15 to 20 years: 2.8% vs 1.2%; and 20 – 25 years 1.3% vs 1.4%; P < .001). The elevated annualized hazards of recurrence were stable after 10 years, even for patients with no axillary involvement.
Reference
- Colleoni M, Sun Z, Price KN, et al. Annual hazard rates of recurrence for breast cancer during 24 years of follow-up: results from the international breast cancer study group trials I to V [published online ahead of print January 19, 2016]. J Clin Oncol. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.5137.
