Mortality rates of breast cancer patients: Results of a study of 4,108 women treated in two Greek hospitals from 1981 to 2008

Perperoglou A1, Louvrou N1, Michaloutsou K1, Keramopoullos D2, Keramopoullos A2

1Department of Statistics and Actuarial Financial Mathematics, University of the Aegean, Karlovasi, Samos, Greece
2Breast Department, Iaso hospital, Athens, Greece

Correspondence: Perperoglou Aris, University of the Aegean, 83200, Karlovasi, Samos, Greece. E-mail: a.perperoglou@gmail.com


Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second cause of death in the female population. This study presents mortality rates and rates of metastasis in breast cancer patients. A total of 4,108 breast cancer cases were examined. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 88%, and the corresponding 10 year survival rate was 79.8%. In the subgroup of patients with T1 tumors, survival rates were 93.2% and 86.9%, respectively. The rates were even higher in groups of patients with smaller T1a tumors (94.5% at five years and 89% at ten years). Our results indicated that cases with tumor grade III had significantly worse prognosis than those with grade II, and the latter had worse prognosis than those with grade I, emphasizing on the importance of early diagnosis of the disease.

Keywords: breast cancer, survival, mortality rates

p. 273-279