Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Prognosis For An Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma

Prognosis for an Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma


Infiltrating, or invasive, ductal carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. It accounts for 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers and prognosis of survival depends on several factors including location, whether it is hormone receptor-positive and stage. Survival rates are calculated at five years after initial therapy and presented as a percentage.


Location


Cancers, like infiltrating ductal carcinoma, which have spread beyond the primary site, have a five-year survival rate of approximately 84 percent, per the New York Times. If the cancer spreads (metastasizes) to other sites, the five-year survival rate drops to 27 percent.


Hormone Receptor


Some breast cancer cells have receptors for estrogen and progesterone--these cells are considered hormone receptor-positive. There is no exact percentage, but women with hormone receptor-positive cells have a better prognosis because those cells grow more slowly and there are more treatment options.


Breast Cancer Stages


There are typically five stages of breast cancer, from 0 to IV. The higher the stage, the lower the chances of survival.


Early Stages


Stages 0 and I both have a five-year survival rate in the 90s. Stage II A has survival rates in the 80s but then, Stage II B drops to the 60s.


Later Stages


Stages IIIA and IIIB both have survival rates in the 40s. Stage IV, the final stage, only has survival rates at 14 percent.







Tags: breast cancer, five-year survival, five-year survival rate, hormone receptor-positive, survival rate, both have, cells have