Follow-up of Patients Treated for pT1aN0M0 Breast Cancer: 10-year Survival and Prognostic Factors

Patients with early breast cancer are considered to have a good prognosis. However, the published literature regarding long-term survival in these cases is limited. This study examined long-term survival, as well as prognostic factors, in patients treated for pT1aN0M0 breast tumors with a 10-year minimum follow-up. 115 eligible patients treated during 1994–2000 were included. The median duration of follow-up (± quartile interval) was 144 ± 35 months. The median age was 56 years. The rate of recurrence-free survival at 10 years was 89.9%. The overall survival rate at 10 years was 94.3%. The overall survival was significantly higher for the youngest group of patients at diagnosis (± 55 years). Three of the 13 deaths observed were due to breast cancer. This series confirms the favorable long-term prognosis of patients treated for pT1aN0M0 breast cancer. The risk of distal recurrence was low but sometimes occurred long after the initial treatment. The role of adjuvant systemic therapy in case of unfavorable histoprognostic factors has yet to be determined.