Hormone receptor status, tumor characteristics, and prognosis: a prospective cohort of breast cancer patients
2007

Breast Cancer Mortality Risks by Hormone Receptor Status

Sample size: 155175 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Dunnwald Lisa K, Rossing Mary Anne, Li Christopher I

Primary Institution: University of Washington

Hypothesis

Does the risk of breast cancer-specific mortality vary by hormone receptor status and demographic or clinical characteristics?

Conclusion

Women with ER+/PR-, ER-/PR+, or ER-/PR- tumors have higher mortality risks compared to those with ER+/PR+ tumors, regardless of demographic and clinical factors.

Supporting Evidence

  • ER+/PR- cases had a 1.5-fold increased risk of mortality compared to ER+/PR+ cases.
  • ER-/PR+ cases had a 2.1-fold increased risk of mortality compared to ER+/PR+ cases.
  • ER-/PR- cases had a 2.6-fold increased risk of mortality compared to ER+/PR+ cases.
  • Mortality risks increased with tumor size and grade across all ER/PR profiles.
  • Older age at diagnosis was associated with higher mortality risks.

Takeaway

Women with certain types of breast cancer are more likely to die from it than others, especially if their tumors don't have certain hormone receptors.

Methodology

Data from 11 cancer registries were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate mortality risks based on hormone receptor status.

Potential Biases

Potential biases due to missing ER/PR data and variations in testing methods across laboratories.

Limitations

The study relies on SEER data, which may have inconsistencies in ER/PR testing and lacks information on adjuvant therapies.

Participant Demographics

Women aged 30 and older, with a diverse racial/ethnic background.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.0001

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.7 to 3.9

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/bcr1639

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