ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 1999 April;54(4):231-8

Copyright © 1999 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Multivariate analysis in the assessment of prognosis in breast cancer after surgical removal

Spina C., Russo F., D’Antini P., Coscarella G., Grande M.

Background. The prognostic parameters most universally accepted as indicative for the assessment of 5 and 10 year survival in breast cancer are considered.
Methods. The aims of this study were to elucidate the relationships among these parameters and to determine the specific interrelations of these prognostic factors. These parameters (age, grading, tumour size, lymphatic and vascular invasion, necrosis, lymph node status and number of nodes positive) are analysed by univariate and multivariate analysis on a series of 75 patients.
Results. The analysis performed confirms prognostic accuracy of age, tumor size, number of nodes positive (p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.003, respectively) when considered singularly but the impossibility of deriving any benefit from the study of their reciprocal interrelations.
Conclusions. This is due to the importance of each parameter assumes independently from the other and to the reciprocal compensation that occurs when all possible interactions are considered.