High risk of recurrence

These tumors are especially characterized by a high risk of recurrence, and their mortality is higher than from tumors located in other parts of the breast. A particularly unfavorable clinical sign is the defeat of the subclavian lymph nodes. According to the latest data, the fact of detection of tumor cells in the bone marrow is of great prognostic value. Apparently, these cells spread by the hematogenous route, and their number circulating in the bloodstream can be an independent prognostic factor, even when assessing the overall survival of patients.

The results of screening studies help to understand the origin and development of breast tumors. It can be argued that in this case the cancer is a progressive disease. Therefore, the time of diagnosis is an extremely important factor on which the outcome of treatment depends, and for small tumors, local treatment methods can be quite effective. The assessment of the degree of individual risk has also become more accurate.

Over the past few years, clinical research has been intensively developed using the gene profile of tumors obtained by the microarray method. The results of these studies allow us to predict the outcome of the disease. For example, in the Netherlands, 70 tumor gene profiles from 295 patients with early breast cancer were studied. Two distinctly different prognostic groups were found. The first group included 180 patients with a poor prognosis (10-year survival rate was 55%).

The second group consisted of 115 people and had a favorable prognosis (10-year survival rate was 95%). Thus, in comparison with traditional clinical methods, the microarray method is more reliable and effective for predicting the outcome of the disease. For example, this method makes it possible to plan for each patient the most appropriate course of chemotherapy, taking into account the degree of individual risk.