Abstract P3-12-18: Mortality after late breast cancer recurrence in Denmark

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Late recurrence (i.e., ≥10 years after primary diagnosis) may have a more favorable prognosis than earlier recurrence. We investigated the risk of breast cancer (BC) death after late recurrence and identified prognostic factors. Furthermore, we compared survival between late and early recurrence. Methods: Using the Danish Breast Cancer Group and other nationwide databases, we identified women with early or late BC recurrence during 2004-2018, who were alive 6 months after recurrence. We followed them until BC death, death from other causes, emigration, ten years or 31/12/2018. We calculated mortality rates (MRs) per 1000 person-years (PY) and cumulative BC mortality, for early versus late recurrence and by characteristics of the primary tumor and of the late recurrence. Using Cox regression, we calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for BC death, accounting for death from other causes as competing risk. Results: Among 2,004 patients with late recurrence, 721 died of BC with a median survival time of 3 years (MR= 84.8 per 1000 PY; 10-year cumulative mortality=50%). Among 1,573 patients with early recurrence, 1,092 BC deaths occurred with a median survival time of 2.6 years (MR= 173.9 per 1000 PY; 10-year cumulative mortality=72%). Advanced stage at primary diagnosis, distant metastases, and adjuvant recurrence treatments were associated with increased mortality, while breast-conserving surgery at primary diagnosis, loco-regional recurrence, and recurrence surgery were associated with lower mortality. Conclusion: Patients with late recurrence had a more favorable prognosis than patients with early recurrence. The localization of recurrent disease was the main prognostic factor for BC death. Citation Format: Rikke Noergaard Pedersen, Lene Mellemkjær, Bent Ejlertsen, Mette Nørgaard, Deirdre Cronin-Fenton. Mortality after late breast cancer recurrence in Denmark [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-12-18.