Breast Cancer Prognosis (the factors that will increase the risk of a relapse)
in 2010 the stage system changed (go here)

     risk of spread to the lymph nodes
     risk of a positive sentinel node: calculator
     risk of positive nodes if the sentinel node is involved
     microscopic spread to the bone marrow
     multifocal or multicentric breast cancer
     understanding the stage
     stage distribution
     survival by stage
     long term survival  by race
     hormone receptor status
     OnctoType Dx to predict risk of relapse
     Molecular (gene) risk profiles
     HER2 neu or Hereptin

 
    

      survival by tumor size and here
     survival with node metastases when chemotherapy is given
     survival by number and type of nodes involved and here
     survival with occult node mets only
     survival if nodes are positive only on special stains here
     survival by other factors (e.g. grade, genetic profile, Her2neu)
     survival with or without chemotherapy
        see online calculator of survival
             Calculator
     time when relapses occur
     survival with metastatic cancer and here

 
breast_survival_SEER.gif (13148 bytes) Note that survival predictions are averages and cannot be applied directly to any one individual. There are many factors that contribute to whether a patient will survive longer or shorter than the averages. One of the most important is how the patient responds to treatment.

In a study of 1,581 women with stage IV (incurable) breast cancer treated with chemotherapy, the overall median survival was 21 months. Based on response to chemo, survival was: 42 months (complete response) 25 months (partial response) but only 4 months for those who progressed on therapy. (Rahman. Cancer 1999;85:104.)