Survival study of breast cancer patients treated at the hospital of the Federal University in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

O objetivo deste estudo retrospectivo de base hospitalar foi descrever as condições de saúde e estimar a sobrevida de 252 pacientes, com diagnóstico prévio de câncer de mama, tratadas e acompanhadas no Ambulatório de Mastologia do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, no período de 1980 a 2000. Para a análise estatística foram utilizados o estimador de Kaplan-Meier e o modelo de Cox. A idade média das pacientes foi 54 anos, sendo que 73,4% apresentaram diagnóstico histológico de carcinoma ductal invasor, 63,9% não apresentaram comprometimento dos linfonodos regionais e 57,6% encontravamse no estadiamento clínico II. Ao final do estudo, 64,7% das mulheres estavam vivas e sem câncer de mama, e 5,1% morreram por outra causa. A sobrevida estimada em 5 anos, foi de 87,7%, sendo os fatores prognósticos associados: tamanho do tumor (RR = 12,03; > 5cm), comprometimento (RR = 3,08; N1) e número de linfonodos ressecados (RR = 4,66; Nenhum), receptor de estrógeno (RR = 0,34) e c-erbB-2 (RR = 2,51). Com base nos achados deste estudo, destaca-se a importância de ações intensivas de orientação para implementar o rastreamento do câncer de mama, levando a diagnósticos em estádios precoces dessa neoplasia.This retrospective hospital-based study aimed to describe health conditions and to estimate the survival of 252 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and treated at the Mastology Outpatient Clinic at the University Hospital of the Federal University in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 1980 to 2000. Analysis followed the Kaplan-Meier and Cox model.Mean age was 54, and 73.4% of the patients had a histological diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma, 63.9% showed no lymph node involvement, and 57.6% were clinical stage II. At the end of the study, 64.7% were alive and free of breast cancer and 5.1% had died of other causes. Fiveyear survival was 87.7% for all women, and prognostic factors associated with survival were tumor size (HR = 12.03; > 5cm), lymph node involvement (HR = 3.08; N1) and number (HR = 4.66; None), and estrogen (HR = 0.34) and c-erbB-2 (HR = 2.51) receptors. Based on the results, intensive awareness-raising campaigns are vitally important for implementing breast cancer screening to achieve early diagnosis