Comparison of the clinical and pathological features between patients with recurrent metastatic breast carcinoma and patients with initially metastatic breast carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To compare initial metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) with recurrent MBC and assess their biologic phenotypes and clinical behaviors. METHODS: A comparison of clinical and biological characteristics and median overall survival times were assessed in the 251 patients with MBC at the Division of Medical Oncology, Ege University School of Medicine, and the Division of Radiation Oncology, Tepecik Government Hospital, Izmir, Turkey between 1995 and 2004. Hormone receptors, c-erbB-2, Ki-67, and p53 expressions were performed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Out of 251 MBC patients, 206 patients had recurrent MBC, and 45 had initial MBC. Regarding survival, there was no difference between the recurrent MBC group and the initial MBC group. The initial MBC group had a higher proportion of T4 tumors (46% versus 27%), a lower proportion of T1-2 tumors (31% versus 55%; p=0.01), and a higher percentage of patients with high Ki-67 expression (64% versus 49%; p=0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that T stage was an independent prognostic factor (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Patients with initial MBC tended to present with larger tumors. This relationship can be explained by delayed diagnosis. The potential for reducing death rates from breast cancer is contingent on educational improvement and increased screening rates.