What is the most important prognostic factor in breast cancer?

Involvement of axillary nodes has been the most important prognostic factor for breast cancer. Decisions regarding the use of adjuvant treatment in breast cancer have also largely been based on axillary node involvement.

What percentage of breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive?

About 80% of all breast cancers are “ER-positive.” That means the cancer cells grow in response to the hormone estrogen. About 65% of these are also “PR-positive.” They grow in response to another hormone, progesterone.

How do estrogen receptors cause breast cancer?

Breast cancer cells taken out during a biopsy or surgery will be tested to see if they have certain proteins that are estrogen or progesterone receptors. When the hormones estrogen and progesterone attach to these receptors, they fuel the cancer growth.

Is HER2 a prognostic factor in breast cancer?

HER2 amplification/overexpression is a marker of poor prognosis in breast cancer. The prognostic impact of HER2 positivity is lower in node-negative compared with node-positive women. The only significant, independent prognostic factors in breast cancer are node status, HER2 status and menopausal status.

What is prognostic factor?

Listen to pronunciation. (prog-NOS-tik FAK-ter) A situation or condition, or a characteristic of a patient, that can be used to estimate the chance of recovery from a disease or the chance of the disease recurring (coming back).

What is the prognosis for breast cancer?

The overall 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 90%. This means 90 out of 100 women are alive 5 years after they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 10-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 84% (84 out of 100 women are alive after 10 years).

Is estrogen receptor negative good or bad?

Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers are a group of tumors with poor prognosis and fewer cancer prevention and treatment strategies compared to ER-positive tumors.

Is it better to be HER2-positive or negative?

Is HER2-positive breast cancer good or bad? HER2-positive cancer tends to be poorer in terms of prognosis than HER2-negative cancer because: It grows faster. It is more likely to spread to the lymph nodes fast.

What does positive estrogen receptor mean?

Describes cells that have a protein that binds to the hormone estrogen. Cancer cells that are estrogen receptor positive may need estrogen to grow. These cells may stop growing or die when treated with substances that block the binding and actions of estrogen. Also called ER positive.

What is worse HER2-positive or negative?

Is HER2-positive good or bad?

About 25% of breast cancers are HER2-positive. HER2-positive cancers are a mix of good and bad news. The bad news is the tumors tend to grow more aggressively than those without the HER2 receptor. The good news is that like ER/PR-positive cancers, medicines can switch the HER2 growth receptor off.

What is an adverse prognostic factor?

A situation or condition, or a characteristic of a patient, that can be used to estimate the chance of recovery from a disease or the chance of the disease recurring (coming back).