This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. While viewing summary tables offers an informative glimpse at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations, they should be viewed with some caution. There are a number of concepts you must understand to be able to successfully read and interpret research tables. To get some background information about understanding research tables, please see How to Read a Research Table.
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Introduction: Lymph node status is one of the most important predictors of breast cancer recurrence and survival. Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program—which collects cancer-related data from a large portion of the United States—clearly show that women with cancer-free lymph nodes have a better five-year survival than women with cancerous nodes. As the number of cancerous nodes increases, survival decreases.
Study selection criteria: Most recent published SEER Program results on lymph node status and breast cancer survival.
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Results
Ries and Eisner [1]
302,763 women with breast cancer
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Lymph node status
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Five-year relative breast cancer survival
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Negative lymph nodes
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98.8%
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1-3 positive lymph nodes
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86.8%
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4 or more positive lymph nodes
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65.5%
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Unknown number of positive lymph nodes
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81.2% |
References
1. Ries LAG and Eisner MP. Chapter 13-Cancer of the female breast. In: Ries LAG, Young JL, Keel GE, Eisner MP, Lin YD, Horner M-J (editors). SEER Survival Monograph: Cancer survival among adults: U.S. SEER Program, 1988-2001, patient and tumor characteristics. National Cancer Institute, SEER Program, NIH Pub. No. 07-6215, Bethesda, MD, 2007.
Updated 09/12/09
