Breast cancer survival and prognosis by screening history

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 110; no. 3; pp. 556 - 559
• Main Authors: Coldman, A J, Phillips, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04-02-2014; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/699/67/1347; 692/699/67/2322; 692/700/1750; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - prevention & control; Canada; Cancer Research; Drug Resistance; Early Detection of Cancer; Epidemiology; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Mammography; Mass Screening; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular Medicine; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Oncology; Short Communication; Survival Rate; Tumors; breast screening; survival; interval cancer; Breast disease; Prognosis; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Medical screening; Survival; Mammary gland diseases; Cancerology; Breast; Mammary gland; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2013.732

Background:
Cancers not detected by breast screening are commonly assumed to have poorer prognosis.
Methods:
We examined the survival experience of all women aged 50–74 years diagnosed with a first breast cancer between 1998 and 2006 in British Columbia, Canada and determined their screening experience. Disease-specific survival rates were calculated and, for cases diagnosed in 2002, prognostic factors (size, nodal involvement, grade ER status and stage) were examined by time since screening.
Results:
Breast cancers diagnosed at screening had the best survival (
P
<0.001). Cancers detected within 12 months of a negative screen had similar survival rates (
P
=0.98) to those diagnosed within 12–23 and 24–47 months, with other non-screen-detected cancers having poorer survival (
P
<0.001). The prognostic profile of cancers diagnosed in 2002 followed a similar pattern.
Interpretation:
There was no evidence that cancers diagnosed within 12 months had poorer prognosis than those diagnosed up to 48 months following screening.