With the establishment and continued improvement of our tumor registry system, the 2015 National Tumor Registry, which combines survival data from 17 population-based tumor registries across the country, released the first cancer survival rates for our largest population. The results showed that the 1-, 3 and 5-year observed survival rates for breast cancer patients in the population from 2003 to 2005 were 90.5%, 80.0% and 72.7%, respectively, with a 5-year relative survival rate of 73.0%. The 5-year relative survival rates for breast cancer patients in urban and rural areas were 77.8% and 55.9%, respectively.
The 5-year survival rates for stage I, IIA, IIB, and III-IV breast cancer patients from 2002 to 2006 were 95.45%, 92.21%, 81.74%, and 67.24%, respectively; 48.6% for LuminalA, 16.7% for LuminalB, 13.7% for HER-2 overexpression, and 12.9% for triple-negative breast cancer, respectively. The 5-year survival rates were 92.86%, 88.62%, 83.22%, and 80.69%, respectively.
Hospital-based breast cancer survival studies have also shown that the prognosis varies widely by breast cancer stage. The 5-year survival rates for patients with operable stage 0 to I, II, and III breast cancer from 1964 to 2003 at the Cancer Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou were 96.8%, 73.7%, and 46.4%, respectively, and the 10-year survival rates were 78.7%, 64.6%, and 33.5%, respectively.
More than 80 percent of breast cancer patients recover and survive for at least 10 years. Hearing about a breast cancer diagnosis is overwhelming for many women, who experience feelings of unreality or numbness and have many decisions to make. There are currently more than 3 million women in the United States who have breast cancer. Advances in treatment are helping to improve breast cancer survival rates as well as quality of life. Breast cancer survival rates are based on survey data, but they reflect averages. Each person’s diagnosis and type of breast cancer is different, and survival is different.
Survival numbers reflect average data for a large number of patients and do not represent individuals
Often, the first thing many people want to know after a breast cancer diagnosis is how long they or their family will live. These survival numbers reflect the average of a large number of patients and do not show how long a particular person will live.
In addition, the average survival rate for breast cancer:
- only shows the percentage of patients who survive a certain amount of time after diagnosis, and many will survive much longer.
- Data do not show the impact of recent treatment advances on survival.
- The data only consider broad staging outcomes, not more detailed data. For example, stage 1 or 2 data, but not stage 1a.
- Data do not take into account each patient’s age, health, or hormone receptor status.
The overall 5-year survival rate for breast cancer patients is 89%. The American Cancer Society reports 5-year survival rates by stage as follows:
Stage 0-1: Near 100% survival rate. About 61% of breast cancer patients are in this stage.
Stage 2: The relative survival rate is 93%.
Stage 3: The relative survival rate is 72%. Many women with this stage of breast cancer are treated successfully.
Stage 4: The relative survival rate is 22%.
Ten-year survival rates average 80% of breast cancer patients can survive for 10 years or longer. However, there are no exact 10-year survival rates for the different stages. Scientists are trying to figure out these data.
Prognosis and survival
What factors affect prognosis and survival?
What factors affect prognosis and survival?
Many factors affect the prognosis and survival of breast cancer patients, including: cancer stage, type of breast cancer, breast cancer cell grade, breast cancer her2 status, breast cancer hormone receptor status, cancer growth rate, and likelihood of breast cancer recurrence.
- The doctor determines the stage by examining: the size of the tumor, whether it has metastasized to nearby tissues, whether it has metastasized to lymph nodes, and whether it has metastasized distantly, in stages 1 to 4. In general, smaller numbers and forward letters mean earlier staging and easier treatment. Breast cancer stage is the single most important predictor of breast cancer survival.
- Another key factor for in situ or invasive cancer is whether the breast cancer is in situ or is invasive. In situ means that the cancer has not spread, and invasive means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the breast. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, which breaks through the ducts to invade the surrounding tissue. Other common types of breast cancer include: ductal carcinoma in situ (carcinoma in situ), lobular carcinoma in situ (lcis), and invasive lobular carcinoma. Less common types include: inflammatory breast cancer, Paget’s disease, and lobular tumors of the breast.
- Cancer cell grading Cancer cells are graded according to a scale of 1 to 3. The grade of cancer cells reflects the difference between cancer cells and healthy cells, and it also indicates how fast the cancer cells are growing. Cancer grade 1 is usually slow-growing and is considered less likely to spread, slower growth rate, and better survival rates.
- Her2 protein and hormone receptor breast cancer, treatment prognosis is influenced by the cancer’s hormone receptor status and Her2 expression. Her2 expression is found in about a quarter of breast cancer patients, and the Her2 gene causes excess Her2 protein, which can make the cancer more likely to spread, recur, and grow faster. However, there are many drugs available to treat Her2-positive types of breast cancer. Determining the hormone receptor status of a cancer patient can also help the physician to administer effective treatment that can affect prognosis and survival. Treatment varies according to hormone receptor status as follows:
- Hormone receptor-positive cancer: can be treated with hormone therapy.
- Hormone receptor-negative cancer: will not be treatable with hormones.
- Triple-positive breast cancer: can be treated with drugs that target estrogen, progesterone, or Her2.
- Triple-negative breast cancer: will not be effective on hormones or Her2 drugs. Triple negative breast cancer is more difficult to treat than other types of breast cancer, especially in the 3-5 years before diagnosis. This type of cancer does not respond to drugs that target estrogen, progesterone, or Her2 protein and has a lower 5-year survival rate. Studies have shown that the 5-year survival rate for triple-negative breast cancer is 77%.