Search

Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients have long been considered "forgotten heroines" because studies looking for new therapeutic options give little attention to them. Breast cancer-distance metastases are known to have a poor prognosis and are more common than loco-regional or contra lateral relapses. Objectives: To determine if there is any relation between metastatic patterns of breast cancer and histological degree of primary tumor, hormonal profile, p53 expression and size. To assess the differences of metastatic patterns between infiltrating ductal carcinoma and infiltrating lobulillar carcinoma, as well as hormonal receptor expression between primary and metastatic tumors. Patients and methods: Clinical and pathological characteristics were analyzed, as well as hormonal profiles of 300 patients with metastatic breast cancer treated at Oncology Hospital, National Medical Center Siglo XXI, IMSS, Mexico. Results: There was a significant correlation between histological high degree tumors and high frequency of lung or liver metastases. A significant correlation was also demonstrated between histological low degree tumors and higher frequency of bone metastases. Overall survival of patients with bone metastases was higher than that of women with lung metastases (p 0.020). Patients with metastatic tumors positive to estrogen and progesterone receptors had a longer survival than women with tumors positive to one of the receptors; patients with both markers negative had the poorest prognosis. Conclusion: There is a correlation between breast cancer dissemination patterns and histological degree; it is important to analyze in metastatic breast cancer hormonal markers because they have predictive and prognostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]