This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables offer an informative look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, they should be viewed with some caution. In order to read and interpret research tables successfully, it is important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.
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Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in women with breast cancer. The 2005 report from the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group showed women of all ages and different types of breast cancer can benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Women under age 50 showed the most improvement in 15-year overall survival.
The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy depends on a person’s prognosis. People with the poorest prognosis get the most survival improvement, while those with the best prognoses get the smallest benefit.
Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of different types of studies.
Study selection criteria: Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative pooled analysis.
Pooled Analysis
Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group [1]
Combined data from 60 randomized clinical trials that together include 28,764 women
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Age and Prognosis
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15-Year Overall Survival
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Percent Surviving— Chemotherapy
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Percent Surviving—No Chemotherapy
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Absolute Improvement in Survival with Chemotherapy
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By age at diagnosis
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<40 years
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70.2%
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64.1%
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6.1%
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40-49
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75.8%
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69.3%
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6.5%
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50-59
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69.5%
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65.9%
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3.6%
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60-69
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68.8%
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66.1%
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2.7%
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70 years or older
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73.9%
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68.2%
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5.7%
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Among women <50 at diagnosis
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Lymph node-negative
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84.4%
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79.3%
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5.1%
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Lymph node-positive
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55.1%
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46.2%
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8.9%
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Among women 50-69 at diagnosis
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Lymph node-negative
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86.4%
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83.1%
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3.3%
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Lymph node-positive
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61.5%
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58.7%
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2.8%
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References
1. Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group. Effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for early breast cancer on recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomised trials. Lancet. 365(9472):1687-717, 2005.
Updated 01/13/12
