Do HT Use and Hormone-Receptor Status Affect Recurrence After Treatment for Early-Stage Breast Cancer?

Hormone-receptor–positive tumor status resulted in lower risk for recurrence among women who have used HT.

Among women with early-stage breast cancer, the effects of hormone therapy (HT) and other epidemiologic factors on breast tumor characteristics and on breast cancer prognosis are not understood well. Nonetheless, outcome determinants other than tumor size and lymph node involvement likely exist, because early-stage breast cancers are biologically heterogeneous and vary in clinical behavior.

In a large single-institution cohort of 2327 women who were treated for early-stage breast cancer from 1985 through 2000, researchers evaluated the effects of HT use and 12 other epidemiologic factors (e.g., race, body-mass index) on breast cancer recurrence. The overall 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 85%. In a multivariate analysis, HT use was …

Reviewing Author

Henry Mark Kuerer, MD, PhD, FACS

Disclosures

Speaker's BureauPhysicians’ Education Resource, LLC

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill Professional; UpToDate, Inc.

Editorial BoardsAnnals of Surgical Oncology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Breast Surgeons (Chair, Publications Committee)