Survival of patients with relapsing breast cancer: analysis of 302 patients

This retrospective study analyzes overall survival and relapse-free survival after mastectomy and survival after recurrence of 302 patients with metastatic breast cancer. In the whole group the median survival after mastectomy is 99 months: 5-year survival rate is 68.4% and 10-year survival rate is 38.5%. The median survival from relapse was 36 months: 5-year and 10-year survival rates were respectively 26.8 and 18.9%. Various subsets of patients divided according to several prognostic factors have been analyzed.

Failure of mitomycin-vindesine combination chemotherapy as salvage treatment for metastatic breast cancer

Mitomycin plus vindesine have been utilized as salvage therapy in metastatic breast cancer patients refractory to first line chemotherapy. No response was observed in 15 consecutively evaluable patients; according to the Gehan test a lack of effectiveness of this regimen is suggested at least in heavily pretreated patients.