Patterns of breast cancer relapse

Although breast cancer is the major cause of cancer-related death in women, there is little comprehensive information on long-term outcomes, particularly pertaining to site of relapse. The Strathfield Breast Centre (TSBC) is a multidisciplinary breast clinic that has collected patient data prospectively over 14 years. All women with invasive, non-metastatic breast cancer, referred to TSBC from 1989 until 2002, were studied ( n = 2509). After initial treatment, patients were reviewed at 3–12-month intervals, including annual mammography and/or breast ultrasound. Information was collected on demographics, pre- and post-operative management and patient outcomes. Survival was analysed by the method of Kaplan and Meier. The mean age was 58 years and median follow-up 4 years (range