How Fatal is Breast Cancer? A Study of Deaths in Tayside
Author Information
Author(s): D.M. Parham, A.J. Robertson, W. Guthrie, J. Swanson Beck
Primary Institution: Department of Pathology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School
Hypothesis
What percentage of breast cancer patients die directly from the disease?
Conclusion
About 32% of women who died with a history of breast cancer were found to have died directly from the disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Nine of the 28 cases (32%) died as a direct consequence of breast carcinoma.
- The median survival for breast cancer deaths was 60 months.
- Clinical judgement had an 82% sensitivity and 89% specificity in determining the cause of death.
Takeaway
This study looked at women who died from breast cancer and found that not all of them died because of it, which means doctors might sometimes think breast cancer is the cause of death when it isn't.
Methodology
A prospective autopsy study was conducted on women diagnosed with breast cancer between October 1986 and December 1990.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of over-diagnosing breast cancer as the cause of death based on clinical grounds alone.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and excluded cases where treatment was received.
Participant Demographics
All participants were women with a history of invasive mammary carcinoma, average age 59 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.25
Statistical Significance
p=0.25
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