Prognosis of Breast Cancer

According to The National Centre for Biotechnology Information, breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. The cancer form is also the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Those with breast cancer would like to know the outlook of her treatment to surviving the cancer form or knowing the chances of its recurrence after treatment.Knowing the prognosis of breast cancer is important to know the disease better so that near-ones of t he affected will handle the disease and live with it better. Prognosis of breast cancer involves two aspects, chances of cure and risk for recurrence.Prognosis of breast cancer depends on:1. type of the cancer,2. position of the cancerous cells,3. size of the infected region,4. involvement of the cancer with other parts of the body,5. tumour grade (how quickly the cells grow and spread),6. factors such as age, medical history and treatment response and7. Whether the tumour is hormone receptor-positive or –negative.Breast Cancer GradeThe outlook for breast cancer depends on how early it is identified and its stage. After diagnosis, the cancer is assigned a grade, based on the appearance of the cancer cells under a microscope. There are 3 grades, namely grade 1 (low grade), grade 2 (intermediate grade) and grade 3 (high grade). The grades indicate the extent of breast cancer growth. After accounting the grade of breast cancer, doctors decide on the best treatment for treating the cancer.Outlook of  For determining the prognosis of breast cancer, the five-year survival rate is considered. Early diagnosis and technological advancements have improved survival rates substantially. 1. According to the statistics revealed by the National Cancer Institute, about 88 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least 10 years. The outlook of breast cancer is poor in women from lower social and economic groups.2. The researchers at Cancer Research UK suggested that 64 out of every 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer will live for at least 20 years. They studied data of women having diagnosed for breast cancer in various stages.In case of Hormone Receptor-Positive or Negative – Some of the breast cancer cells have receptor sites for the hormones estrogens and progesterone. The chances of the survival are more if the tumours are hormone receptor-positive cells, metastasis of which is slow. On the other hand, if the tumours are hormone receptor-negative cells, metastasis is fast and hormone drug therapy may also fail. Although, prognosis is different for every patient, it only reflects possible course.