PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN AXILLARY NODE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Records of medical files of breast cancer patients with negative axillary node biopsy, which were treated and observed in Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Surgical Oncology and Medical Oncology Departments, were analysed retrospectively. With at least 5 years of observation, 29 cases who had recurrent disease were compared with a control group of 70 cases who did not have recurrent disease, for tumor size, grade, histopathological subgroup, p53, c-erb B2, axillary micrometastasis and some clinical and pathological parameters which may be related with development of recurrent breast cancer. Tumor size, grade and p53 positivity were found to be related factors in development of recurrent breast cancer (p<0.05). We believe that, while we are planning adjuvant chemotherapy in order to reduce the risk of recurrency in breast cancer cases with negative axillary node biopsy, we should take in consideration tumor size, grade and p53 positivity to select suitable cases for adjuvant chemotherapy. Meanwhile we believe that other prognostic factors in breast cancer should be studied.

Keywords: axillary node negativity, breast cancer, prognostic factors