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Breast Cancer/Invasive triple negative ductal breast cancer

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Expert: - 2/14/2008


Question
I had surgery, chemo (8 dose density treatments, 4of adriamycin & cytoxin, 4 of paclitaxel)for a .8cm,Stage 1 (neg. sentinel node) triple negative Nottingham grade 3 (tubules 3, nuclear 3, mitoses 2=8. I was told I had an excellent prognosis. Recently I read that the grade was an important prognosis predictor and that 3 indicated a poorer survival rate. Statistically what can you tell me about survival rates with cancers like this?

Answer
Yes grade is a prognostic factor. But it is not the only one. In your case we have tumor size: the bigger the tumor the worse the prognosis, you had a small tumor, 8 mm. We also have stage. The higher the stage the worse the prognosis. You had a low stage (1), stage goes from 0 (cancer in situ) to 4 - which is bad. You had 1, which is usually the best you can have in an ordinarily detected tumor. So the overall picture looks good! I would say that you most probably have a good prognosis, but of course as in all cancer cases I can not give you any promises or guarantees. Since you are a single case and statistics and its probabilities work best with vast numbers of cases I will refrain from giving you in a single case (your case) rather meaningless probability numbers.
Good luck!  

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

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I`m a doctor of medicine and a specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have long experience in diagnostics and treatment of breast tumours.

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I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy educated & trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps.You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 I have no restrictions on the number of questions there.

I also answer questions about Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Brain Tumors, Colon Cancer

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I'm a medical doctor and specialist in medical oncology and radiation therapy.

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