Decades of progress in breast cancer treatment is paying dividends for patients. A recent analysis
of clinical trial data has shown a significant long term decline in breast cancer recurrence for
women with early breast cancer, reflecting improvements in both tumor identification and
treatment strategies.
The study, published in Lancet, evaluated 155,746 women diagnosed between 1990 and 2009
and found significant reductions in recurrence rates over time, particularly for estrogen receptor
(ER)-positive breast cancer.
For women with ER-positive disease who received at least 5 years of endocrine therapy, the 10-
year distant recurrence rate dropped from 20.5% in those diagnosed between 1990-1999 to
11.7% in those diagnosed between 2005-2009. Similarly, for women with ER-negative disease,
recurrence rates decreased from 29.7% to 18.2% over the same periods. These reflect 80.5% and
89.8% improvements, respectively.
These improvements were largely attributed to earlier detection, leading to an increasing
proportion of patients with lower-risk disease and/or better tumor staging, and advancements in
adjuvant therapies and longer treatment durations.
Adjustments for factors like tumor size, grade, and lymph node involvement revealed a reduction
in the 10-year distant recurrence rate by up to 32% for ER-positive and 21% for ER-negative
disease after 2000.
This study demonstrates the continued importance of cancer research and advancements in
targeted therapies. The hope is that with continued advancements and development of new
treatment strategies, recurrence rates should continue to improve. These findings underscore the
progress in breast cancer care, offering valuable insights for clinicians to better inform patients
about their prognosis.
The study focuses on wide patient populations, but we know from experience that early detection
and early effective treatment will make a world of difference to that individual patient and her
family. This study also demonstrates that a negligent delay in diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer
can have significant impact on that patient’s outlook.
