How breast cancer recurrences are found – a real-world, prospective cohort study

Figures & data

Figure 1. The final dataset consisted of 89 patients divided into two cohorts. Six patients had both distant metastases and locoregional recurrence and were included in both cohorts.

Table 1. Primary characteristics of patients with a locoregional recurrence or distant metastases.

	Patients with distant metastases n (%)	Patients with a locoregional recurrence n (%)
Age at diagnosis, median (range)	55 (30–81)	56 (39–82)
Menopause status at diagnosis
Pre-menopausal	25 (41)	11 (32)
Post-menopausal	34 (56)	19 (56)
Missing	2 (3)	4 (12)
Bilateral breast cancer
Yes	3 (5)	2 (6)
No	58 (95)	32 (94)
Adjuvant chemotherapy
No adjuvant chemotherapy	14 (23)	18 (53)
CEF*	9 (15)	6 (18)
Docetaxel + CEF	19 (31)	4 (12)
Trastuzumab-including regimen	7 (12)	6 (18)
Adjuvant radiation therapy
Received radiotherapy	57 (93)	30 (88)
No radiotherapy	4 (7)	4 (12)
Adjuvant endocrine therapy
No endocrine therapy	22 (36)	18 (53)
Tamoxifen	22 (36)	8 (24)
Aromatase inhibitor	15 (25)	8 (24)
Tamoxen + aromatase inhibitor	2 (3.3)	0 (0)
Locoregional recurrence
No locoregional recurrence	55 (90.2)	0 (0)
Same breast	1 (1.6)	17 (50.0)
Contralateral breast	1 (1.6)	9 (26.5)
Scar	3 (4.9)	6 (17.6)
Other	1 (1.6)	2 (5.9)
The first site of distant metastases
No distant metastases	0 (0)	28 (82.4)
Bone metastases	17 (27.9)	2 (5.9)
Lung metastases	9 (14.8)	1 (2.9)
Liver metastases	5 (8.2)	0 (0)
Multiple sites	24 (39.3)	3 (8.8)
Other distant metastases	6 (9.8)	0 (0)

*CEF: cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil.

Table 2. Primary tumour characteristics of patients with a locoregional recurrence or distant metastases.

	Patients with distant metastases n (%)	Patients with a locoregional recurrence n (%)
T-class
T1	20 (33)	23 (68)
T2	33 (54)	10 (29)
T3	7 (12)	1 (3)
T4	1 (2)	0 (0)
N-class
N0	16 (26)	24 (71)
N1	22 (36)	9 (27)
N2	15 (25)	1 (3)
N3	8 (13)	0 (0)
Histopathology
Ductal	47 (77)	25 (74)
Lobular	11 (18)	7 (21)
Mucinous	2 (3)	1 (3)
Other	1 (2)	1 (3)
Histopathological grade
Grade 1	0 (0)	6 (18)
Grade 2	25 (41)	17 (50)
Grade 3	34 (56)	9 (27)
Unknown	2 (3)	2 (6)
Oestrogen receptor expression
Negative (0%)	14 (23)	6 (17)
Weak (1–9%)	2 (3)	1 (3)
Moderate (10–59%)	6 (10)	4 (12)
High (>59%)	38 (62)	22 (65)
Unknown	1 (2)	1 (3)
Progesterone receptor expression
Negative (0%)	22 (36)	8 (24)
Weak (1-9%)	5 (8)	2 (6)
Moderate (10-59%)	5 (8)	3 (9)
High (>59%)	28 (46)	20 (59)
Unknown	1 (2)	1 (3)
Ki-67 expression
<5%	2 (3)	2 (6)
5–14%	15 (25)	21 (62)
15–30%	20 (33)	3 (9)
>30%	23 (38)	7 (21)
Unknown	1 (2)	1 (3)
HER2 status
Positive	9 (15)	3 (9)
Negative	52 (85)	31 (91)

Figure 2. Kaplan–Meier curves showing survival after recurrence detection of patients with locoregional recurrence (LRR) and patients with only distant metastases.

Figure 3. Pie charts showing how distant metastases (A–B) and locoregional recurrences (C–D) were diagnosed.

Figure 4. Kaplan–Meier curves showing the effect of the first sign or symptom of metastasis (A) or the presence of symptoms (B) on survival in metastatic disease. (C) shows the effect of metastasis detection on survival for metastatic disease and (D) the effect of symptoms on survival after locoregional recurrence.

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.